Eyes Wide Shut
by ChibiJaime
Summary: The Turtles are crippled by a sudden, disturbing change in their oldest brother. What will become of them? Will their lives ever be the same again? (PG-13 for violence and language; COMPLETE!)
1. Lamb to the Slaughter

{/Yeah, as if you needed it, MORE proof that I am an INCURABLE GEEK. Playing video games and watching remakes of old cartoon shows reminds you of what fun you used to have making up horrible little things to happen to your favorite characters, and this is no exception.  
  
Many thanks to the brilliant KayceeRonin, whose purchase of the recently-released Turtles game (and four volumes of the cartoon series, two of which made up her belated birthday present from me :3) renewed my old love for the shelled ninjas. This story is a dedication to her. Here's your Leo angst, shweety. Now write Donny angst for me! XD  
  
Sidenote: this story was not originally intended to be a multi-parter. No, not in the slightest. It was actually originally intended to be a single chaptered story, but it looks like it might be 4 chapters. Ah well. Que sera sera, right? ;/}  
  
{={Eyes Wide Shut}=}  
  
{{Part 1: Lamb to the Slaughter}}  
  
It was like the calm after a storm. Despite the, as usual, exhasperating events of earlier that evening, the entire lair was silent. Well, for the moment, anyway.  
  
"I swear to God, Mikey, if you don't shut your trap right now, I will personally shut it for ya!"  
  
To the ruckus of the routine brotherly scuffle that followed, the 'eldest' brother gave a weary sigh, his thought process drifting to, /Thank all the powers that be for meditation./  
  
"Will both of you two be quiet for five minutes? I'm still a little sore in the head, and if I am, I know Leo is for the beating he took."  
  
The response to the more intelligent brother's comment was a snort from the usual antagonist. "Yeh, whateva, Donny... tell that to bright-eyes over there, and maybe I'll drop it."  
  
To that, the youngest snarled, bristling obviously at the comment. "Hey, I'm not the one who started it!"  
  
Which led to an entirely new argument.  
  
If there had ever been a more unusual group of perfectly abnormal brothers with very normal tendancies, it would have been quite a stretch. In the streets above, in New York proper, no one suspected the existance of the mutated reptilian siblings - turtles, to be precise - that bickered much like any average teenagers in the sewers below.  
  
Grumbling from his failed start at meditation, Leonardo let one eye slip open, glaring through his blue bandana at his brothers from across the room. His head was still throbbing, and for him, meditation was far better than any painkiller he could ever take. "Please... everyone... I just need some quiet right now."  
  
Donatello was the first to back off, giving a nod as he spun on his heel to head towards his room, bandana trailing a brief flash of purple behind him as he walked. "I had some stuff I wanted to work on, anyway."  
  
"Feh! Like I wanted to listen to Mikey's bitching anymore today anyway. I'm gonna meet up with Casey... play some video games or somethin'..."  
  
Ever the hothead, Raphael wasted no time in pulling on a trenchcoat and a hat, making his way out of the lair at what could probably be considered break-neck speed. Soon after, despite a concerned glance at his brother, Michelangelo retreated to his own room. Leonardo, however, knew better than to think he was finally alone. He was most certainly not the only presence in his candlelit corner of the lounge room.  
  
"My son." The calm, tired voice of his master and father cut through the quiet, soothing and yet a cause for some sort of concern. "You are troubled. Will you be all right?"  
  
Like a boy trying to make amends for a grievous mistake, the leader lifted his eyes. "I'll be fine, sensei. I just need some time to recouperate after today."  
  
There was a moment of silence before the rat placed an understanding hand on his son's shoulder. "Do not fret, Leonardo. They do not blame you for the attack. Meditate and relax. This time will be good for you."  
  
The teen nodded in response before allowing his eyes to close again, his mind drifting into the recesses of meditation as Splinter retreated to his quarters. The boy needed time alone, and this was the best way to give it to him. Learning was a task that sometimes had to be tackled alone.  
  
=====  
  
Leonardo was uncertain how long it had been since he dozed off meditating, but from the silence that cut through the lair, everyone else was gone or asleep. He sighed, opening his eyes to look around. For some reason, nothing seemed right with him. A cold dread was growing in the pit of his stomach, gnawing away at his insides, and causing him to worry where he was supposed to be calming himself.  
  
Cracks in the walls caught his attention more than they usually did... these over the entrance to Splinter's private chambers. They seemed deeper than when they had first inspected them. He would have to look at them later.  
  
The opportunity to do just that would not come, however. As he stared with an expression of semi-dazed shock at the wall, pieces began to fall loose. Then, the entire wall caved in like a card house under its own weight.  
  
For a moment, Leonardo could do nothing but stare. His eyes were wide and he was frozen in shock. Then, adrenaline kicked in and he lept to his feet, sprinting over to the collapsed structure. His entire world seemed to be falling in around him as he frantically dug at the rocks, calling for the help from his brothers that would not come.  
  
He felt physically and mentally weak as he tried his damnedest to work through the rubble. Piece by piece, the crumbled wall gave way, but it was slow going. He could only hope that by the time he reached the bottom, his father would still be all right.  
  
All hope for anything stopped as cold as his heart seemed to when a clawed hand became visible through the rocks, laying limp in the rubble. Almost like a frightened child, he reached out to touch the hand he knew all too well, and his insides turned when he found that hand had lost its familiar warmth.  
  
"No..." he mumbled softly, shaking his head. Panic struck him once again and he dug at the rocks with renewed fervor, his jaw working without words when he found his master at last, unmoving and cold. "No... sensei... NO!" Dark eyes shot around the room for any sign of help. Where had everyone gone, now when he needed their help and support the most? "Michaelangelo?! Raphael! Donatello! Where the hell IS everyone?!"  
  
Gently, he lifted Splinter from the rubble. The body that had taught him so well the ways of ninjitsu was completely limp in his grasp. Dead? No, he couldn't be dead! It couldn't be possible! They were prepared for anything... everything!  
  
Weren't they?  
  
His shoulders shook in a sob he could not repress, tears soaking the fabric of his bandana. This was not supposed to be happening. It couldn't be! As the chilling reality of his situation sank in, the only thing the broken leader could manage was a tortured scream of loss and despair.  
  
In that single moment, Leonardo felt more alone than he ever had in his short fifteen years of life... a feeling that brought with it more dread than all the rest of the world's hatred combined.  
  
=====  
  
"Yo, Leo, snap out of it!"  
  
The voice belonged to Raphael. Leonardo's eyes snapped open to meet his brother's head-on, framed by familiar red fabric. An uncharacteristic expression of worry rested on his face, and flanking him were his other siblings. Splinter stood nearby as well, concern obvious in his eyes if nowhere else. The wall over his chambers was still secure.  
  
That had been a dream?!  
  
Raphael's hands were firmly grasped on his shoulders, and it was only then that the leader realized he was still sitting in the lotus position, proving he had fallen asleep meditating. He was panting, still trying to pull himself out of the horrible place that dream had left him in. Raphael gave him another shake as Donatello knelt beside him. "Leo, it's us. Come on, it's okay, you're awake now."  
  
Slowly, he calmed. With practiced skill, he slowed his breathing to normal, managing a feeble, "Guys...?"  
  
He was shocked with how weak his voice sounded, hoarse and almost... timid? The others gave small smiles of relief, however, and Raphael let out what must've been a tense indrawn breath. "Geez, don't scare me like that, bro. You were screamin' like a lunatic when I came in, and from what I saw, Donny, Mikey, and Sensei were hard-pressed to be wakin' you up. I considered slappin' ya, but eh... they talked me out of it."  
  
Michelangelo's brow was furrowed in his own childish concern and he cocked his head to one side. "You all right, bro...?"  
  
"I'm fine," came the response after a few long moments. "It was just a bad dream... that's all."  
  
The other three teens seemed quite relieved and satisfied with that answer, but Splinter was not convinced. He watched his sons' playful banter with each other, with Raphael putting Leonardo in a headlock, only resulting in nearly getting flung. Donatello ducked out of the way of the kicked Raphael, who tripped over Michelangelo, tumbling to the ground with an angry shout. It would have been a hilarious sight if his mind had not been racing. It was very unlike Leonardo to have nightmares for no reason... he had been the least susceptible to them when the four were young.  
  
Sighing quietly, he shook his head. The four almost instantly froze in their mock-battle, looking up at their sensei with puzzled expressions. It was Michelangelo who spoke up first. "Sensei? You too?"  
  
Leave it to Michelangelo to always be the one to lighten any sour mood with an innocent question. Splinter couldn't help but smile at the one he considered the youngest of the four boys, shaking his head. "A thought crossed my mind... it was nothing. It is late, my sons, you should retire... as should I. Leonardo, I would like to speak with you come morning."  
  
Even though he knew he was not in trouble, he couldn't help but wince, almost in an automatic reaction. "Of course, sensei."  
  
The quiet leader watched his brothers retreat to their rooms... all but one, that is. Michaelangelo remained in a kneel nearby, watching Leonardo with an expression far too serious for his light-hearted personality. Leonardo couldn't even ask what he wanted to before the younger of the pair questioned, "You're not really all right, are you? I can tell. What the hell shook you up so bad, Leo...?"  
  
Leonardo refused to match eyes with his brother. For all of his childish puckishness, Michelangelo was most of the time almost instinctively astute to the mood-swings all of his brothers suffered, and at times like this, it was to Leonardo's disadvantage. He frowned, shaking his head. "Mikey, don't worry about it. I'm fine."  
  
The other frowned even deeper. "No. You're not. I'm not that dense, bro... I've been around you for fifteen years, and I sure as hell know when you're down in the dumps."  
  
After a few moments, Leonardo sighed, reaching foreward to give Michelangelo a light, playful punch on the shoulder, stoic expression broken by a half-hearted smile. "I'll be fine once I get this out of my system, I swear. It was just a nightmare... the lingering images are just messing with me, that's all."  
  
Although he looked skeptical at first, Michaelangelo couldn't help but grin at the jab. He feinted a punch, then jumped to his feet. "Well, if you say so. But if you're lyin', I'll make you pay for it somehow." He hated being lied to. One of his quirks, but it was part of his almost too-trusting nature. "See ya in th' morning, bro."  
  
Leonardo watched his brother's retreating shell for several moments before he sighed, unfolding himself from the lotus position as he stood. He felt Splinter looking at him, knowing deep down that he could not pull the wool over the rat's eyes. He never was able to, and that wasn't going to change now.  
  
As he retreated into his room, he felt that same sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. It had been a dream, right? So now, he just had to forget about it.  
  
=====  
  
For nearly three nights straight, Leonardo had lost far too much sleep over the recurring nightmares that haunted his mind. His answers to Splinter's inquiries on the subject were vague, and the others had all noticed the subtle changes become more blatant as their fearless leader became sloppy and unfocused, unable to concentrate on even a simple kata, much less their usual training sessions.  
  
The situation was frustrating Raphael (given, that was no difficult task, but still), and finally, he snapped, spinning and landing a sturdy kick to his eldest brother's chest. "Snap out of it, will ya?! You're half-awake, hardly concentrating... you're gonna get yourself hurt!"  
  
Snapped back into awareness by the sudden force of Raphael's kick sending him hurtling backwards across the room, Leonardo gave his head a quick shake, hardly able to believe he'd let his guard down for that long. He stared up at Raphael for a moment before vaulting to his feet, scowling at his brother. "I think a simple, "Hey, Leo, you look tired," would suffice, Raph."  
  
The hothead just growled. "You haven't been sleeping. I ain't exactly the best person to preach, but you should talk to Sensei about this."  
  
"There's no need," Leonardo retorted. "I've just been--..."  
  
"Having nightmares you can't understand and thinking we won't notice you slowly startin' to wear down! We ain't blind, bro. We can tell when somethin's wrong." If this kept up, the two were going to explode at each other again, and wisely, Donatello and Michelangelo backed off. Raphael was in his brother's face now, practically hissing as he spoke. "What if somethin' happens today, huh?! You'll fuck up, and all of us'll have to take the brunt. If you get killed, what do we do?! Might not seem like I care much, but I do just as much as the others. You're our brother, Leo. You're the one always tellin' us that bein' off-guard is one of a ninja's worst enemies. Talk about bein' a hypocrite!"  
  
Something in the back of Leonardo's mind snapped. He was in no mood to deal with Raphael's angry berating, and he wasn't about to take it lying down. Frustrated, tired, and upset by the onslaught of nightmares he had experienced, he lashed out, clotheslining Raphael hard enough to send the other turtle crashing to the floor, sending a sharp throb of pain through his shell. The two regarded each other for a moment, neither willing to give or take any quarter.  
  
Growling, Raphael pulled himself up into a kneel, hands going for his sai. "Okay. That's it. You wanna dance, then fine. I'll just prove you're in no condition to be doin' anything!"  
  
He lunged without another word, his sharp weapons deflected by Leonardo's katana with a resounding clang of metal. With a slight hiss, he dropped, sweeping one leg out and catching his older brother by surprise. The sweep kick was successful, knocking Leonardo to his back, but he was only taken down briefly. Very nearly pushed past his limits by his brother's volatile nature, he was not willing to let him just push him around now. "I don't think you'll be proving anything at all, Raphael!"  
  
With only slight exhertion, he shoved himself up off the ground in a vault kick that not only caught Raphael by surprise, but sent him flying back a few good feet. Leonardo landed standing, Raphael on his back, which simply but effectively switched their positions. Raphael growled again, lower, angrier. He flipped over, then flung himself at his brother with an angry shout, catching him around the middle and tackling him, one fist and sai raised for the strike...  
  
"That is enough!" The fight abruptly stopped before it truly got out of hand, all eyes turning to the old rat that was making his way into the lounge/training room. "Miss O'Neil contacted you earlier today, did she not? Concerning problems near her antique shop. I will be accompanying you." He turned a knowing glance towards Leonardo. "You are to stay here and rest... that is my command, and you will obey it."  
  
None of the others said anything, but Leonardo seemed somewhat put-out. He knew, deep down, that Raphael had been more than correct in his statements... that his tiredness could get in the way of his judgement and cause a serious problem. After a few moments, he gave a quiet sigh and nodded. "As you wish, sensei."  
  
A few moments of pause went by as the others filtered out. Splinter cast one last look at the tired and broken form of his son, then sighed and followed as well.  
  
Leonardo closed his eyes tightly as he attempted to force himself into meditation, but his mind was racing too fast to manage. The repetitive nature of these strange nightmares had to mean something.  
  
Finally, he stood. If, in the end, there was a meaning to the madness he had recently experienced, there had to be a way to stop it. The way to stop it was to stop what seemed to be the inevitable... to save his master before the accident happened.  
  
The day dragged on with still no sign of his siblings or father, so he wasted no time in trying to fix the cracks in the wall that spelled the impending doom of Splinter if he did not act.  
  
It all happened quicker than the youth could react. The loud cracking of stone, and the sudden onslaught of pounding rock that at first stung worse than an assault of the Elite Foot, and then did nothing more than serve as a further assistant in the leader's descent into unconsciousness.  
  
=====  
  
Michelangelo was restless. The others were perfectly fine investigating the recent robberies as Splinter spoke to April to calm her down. Casey Jones was undoubtedly nearby, probably looking for trouble with Raphael, and Donatello was more than happy to mull for hours over what few clues they had found.  
  
He, however, couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He didn't like the idea of leaving Leonardo alone, even though he was the only one that really could be trusted in such a situation. A hand connecting with the back of his head brought him back to his senses before he turned to find Raphael and Casey, who had him fixed with puzzled glances. "...What?"  
  
"You're spacin' out," answered Casey flatly, folding his arms as one brow raised. "Somethin' got your goat?"  
  
Raphael sighed. "Mikey, I'll cover for ya if y'wanna go back to the lair."  
  
/I hate it when he does that! He's as bad as Leo sometimes./ Michelangelo sighed, shaking off the thought as he nodded. "Sorry... I just got this feeling that somethin' bad's gonna happen. I just don't know what."  
  
The hothead nodded. He could be understanding sometimes... it was just difficult. He gave Michelangelo a slap on the shell to move him along. "Get goin', bozo. Don't wanna hafta stare at your ugly sulking mug any longer than I have to."  
  
Michelangelo made a face at him, but wasted no time hustling to the nearest manhole to make his way back home.  
  
=====  
  
The lair was silent when Michelangelo returned. On a normal occasion, he would have assumed his brother was sleeping or meditating, but today, the silence was messing with his head in the worst of ways. "Leo...?" he called quietly. "Y'here?"  
  
He was answered by the same silence. Even asleep or in a meditative trance, the ever-vigilant Leonardo should have heard the meek call. Panic struck him when he saw the rubble, and the flash of blue fabric that trailed from it. He saw one of his brother's hands, and his mind kicked into overdrive. "LEO!"  
  
Instantly, the teen was at the rubble, trying his best to be careful as he dug away chunks of rock. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief when he found Leonardo under it all, badly injured but alive. As he was lifted from the wreckage, his eyes slid open only briefly as he looked up at his brother. "Mikey...?"  
  
The youngest brother gave a weak smile, nodding quickly as he tried to fight off the sick feeling rising in his stomach at seeing his brother in such a poor state. "Yeah. It's me, Leo." He swallowed, noticing that it was extremely difficult for Leonardo to remain conscious. Even he, without a lick of medical know-how, could see that. "You hold on, Leo. I... I'll get Donny. He'll know what to do!"  
  
Leonardo tried to say something, but he couldn't manage. His chest was throbbing, aching, reminding him of his near-fatal mistake. He couldn't even choke out a coherent sentence, let alone the few words it required to get across to his concerned sibling that everything was all right.  
  
Before he could manage, he slumped into his brother's arms, unconsciousness threatening to swell once more. Terror gripped Michelangelo like a vice, threatening to rip through his psyche.  
  
/Contact Donny./  
  
That single thought rang through his mind over and over again. Near the point of full panic, he checked his belt repeatedly, trying to find his ShellCell, which seemed to have gone missing. He must've left it at April's place!  
  
"Nono, Leo! Stay awake! Stay awake!" Michelangelo swallowed again as his pleas fell on deaf ears, now resisting the urge to shake his brother into awareness. "Leo...?"  
  
His eyes shot around rapidly. He had to do something. Carefully, he lifted Leonardo, moving him to the couch. "Leo, c'mon, wake up..."  
  
This wasn't good. Leonardo was unconscious, and he had no way of contacting the others. He closed his eyes tightly. He wasn't the strong one. He was just the kidder, the joker... the baby. He wasn't the one that could handle this sort of pressure. "You can't give up, bro... we still need you..."  
  
Still no response. Michelangelo sighed, dropping to his knees next to the couch, staring quietly at his brother's inert form. He couldn't leave Leonardo's side, not for an instant. So how was he supposed to help him if he couldn't get to help?!  
  
=====  
  
Splinter's ear twitched. No one noticed the movement, but somehow, he knew something was wrong. The rat abruptly climbed to his feet, startling April, who had entered the room with a kettle of hot water for tea.  
  
"Master Splinter?" she questioned curiously. "Is something wrong?"  
  
The rat shook his head as he walked towards the door. "One of my sons is in grave danger. I must return."  
  
April blinked, then paled. "You mean Leo, don't you? Is he hurt...?!"  
  
"I believe he may be, Miss O'Neil. Help me to find the rest of my sons. We must return to the lair immediately."  
  
=====  
  
It didn't surprise the others at all to find Michelangelo still knelt next to the couch where his brother lay, looking as if he would jump clean out of his shell at the slightest movement the other made. He looked unbelievably tired when he glanced up at his siblings, friends, and sensei, climbing to his feet someone slowly.  
  
"Guys, I'm so glad you're back! Leo, he..."  
  
Donatello and Splinter didn't say a word as the others erupted into a slew of questions. The prior moved to the side of his brothers, kneeling next to Leonardo as he assessed the injuries with a keen, trained eye. As Splinter quieted Raphael, Casey, and April to give Michelangelo time to gather his thoughts, Donatello kept mumbling on about what he could see, and finally, he gave a frustrated sigh, standing up next to the dazed and confused Michelangelo. "Mikey," he stated lowly, his sudden words startling everyone into looking at him, "do you know anything about what happened here?"  
  
Michelangelo shook his head, watching his brother with a guarded expression. "I came in and he was already like that, honest... in the rubble over by that wall" He pointed, then shuddered, almost sheepishly looking towards Donatello. "You told me that you're supposed to keep people with head injuries awake, and I tried, but..."  
  
"You did what you could, Michelangelo." Splinter moved foreward between the two, resting one clawed hand on Leonardo's forehead. "There is nothing more you could have done. We all must wait now... and hope for the best."  
  
There was a moment of silence before Raphael spoke, his gaze fixed on Donatello. "There's somethin' you can do for 'im, right Donny?" He swallowed a feeling of dread. "I mean, he..."  
  
Donatello glanced at his hotheaded brother before his eyes shifted to Leonardo's inert form. "...Well, from what I can tell, none of the damage is permanent, but he suffered a pretty nasty blow to the head. There's some scratches on his shell, but nothing that'll really hurt him in the long run... I think he's got a broken arm... but to be honest, I can't tell until he wakes up."  
  
"You mean, if he wakes up." All eyes were on Raphael again. He was fuming, although whether it was at his own self or what had happened was questionable. "And he'd damn well better. I told him he was gonna get hurt..." He shouted, throwing one of his sai across the room, landing it deep in the practice dummy there. Then, he sank to his knees, growling quietly to himself. "Damnit, I hate being right..."  
  
April and Casey had been relatively quiet for the most part until April sighed, hugging herself and rubbing her upper arms slightly with her hands. "Is there anything I can do?"  
  
"We'll need some sort of smelling salts, if you can get your hands on them, April," Donatello responded. "Raph's right. It's going to be hard for Leo to wake up on his own with the knock to the head he took. We have to find some way to wake him up, though, or... he might..."  
  
Raphael was on his feet in an instant, fury evident in his face and speech. "He ain't gonna kick it, Donny!" He clenched his fists as he stalked over to retrieve his thrown sai and give the practice dummy quite a beating, speaking as he did, trying to force back his own concern. "He's the one always tellin' us to be strong. To pull through, no matta' what. Well, that's what he's gonna do. You know he will. If he doesn't... if he dies... I will personally kick his ass!"  
  
=====  
  
It was Raphael himself who volunteered to stay with his brother that night, watching to make certain his condition didn't change, or to contact Donatello if he awoke. Michelangelo had joked, in an attempt to lighten the mood, that he was just doing it to berate Leonardo when he awoke, which nearly earned him a solid right-hook to the jaw.  
  
Once the others had retreated to their own rooms for the night, Raphael let out a sigh and settled himself on the floor next to his brother, for a moment just watching him. Then, he frowned. "Well... don't this look familiar? Ya got this bad habit of gettin' yourself whaled on, bro. And rocks this time? You're slippin'."  
  
After a few more moments, he smirked, chuckling. "Hell, I ain't much better, I guess. All's different is our approach. I go lookin' for trouble. It just sorta happens to you."  
  
The silence fell again, and after a while, Raphael groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Great, I'm talking to myself. I sound like a god-damned lunatic." He glared at Leonardo, grumbling out. "Some fearless leader you are. Aren't you s'posed to prevent things like this from happening?" He sighed again. "Though... I guess one of us shoulda stayed here, to make sure nothin' happened. But Sensei trusts you, so we should too, right?" A slight smile crossed his face once more. "Good thing none'a the guys are here ta hear this. I'd never hear the end of it."  
  
"I mean, y'know... you and me, we fight a lot... but that don't mean I don't worry about ya none. You're still my brother, and that means somethin'. Don't know what, but it's somethin'." A grin. "You won't remember a damn word I'm saying, so I guess it's best ta get it off my chest now." He let a few seconds of silence pass as he drew one knee up to his chest. "Remember how I yelled at ya, last time y'got yourself hammered? I didn't... really mean it, y'know? Mikey's right, we need ya around here. Without you, we wouldn't know up from down."  
  
Quietly, Raphael folded his arms on his knee, chin resting on his forearm. "I probably really woulda hurt ya before... I could tell you were tired. I just lost my temper, s'all." His brow went up. "I do that a lot... but you know that already."  
  
The silence fell once more, and finally, Raphael stormed to his feet. "God damnit! You're just...! Why won't you wake up, Leo?! You did before! You came home! Are you being stubborn or stupid, huh?! You... you..."  
  
"Telling your brother you are concerned for his wellbeing is perhaps a better course of action than yelling at him, my son."  
  
Raphael spun instantly to face his master, rubbing furiously at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Master Splinter! I... uh..."  
  
The rat shook his head. "There is no need to hide your thoughts from me, my son. I can see it in your eyes." Slowly, he walked over to stand by Raphael at the side of the couch, kneeling. "Before, it was your brother's fear keeping his spirit at bay. Now, it is weariness. He was tired, emotionally and physically. His body is fatigued, and his soul is weary."  
  
The hotheaded teen frowned, reaching over to lightly grab hold of his brother's shoulder. "Those nightmares'a his can'ta been normal, Sensei. Leo never had nightmares when we were kids. Why would he start now?"  
  
"That is hard to say, Raphael. Perhaps a warning has come to him in a way he does not understand." Standing, the master began to take his leave. "Give him time, my son. He will pull through."  
  
As the rodent left, Raphael sighed and returned to his bedside vigil. "Come on, Leo... things're gonna be fine..."  
  
=====  
  
"Raph...?"  
  
Awareness slowly returned to Raphael at the sound of the weak, but all-too-familiar, voice. Sleep still numbed most of his body, but there was no mistaking who spoke, and instantly, his head shot up. "Leo!"  
  
The leader gave a weak smile. "Don't look so surprised. I wasn't dead."  
  
"You had us scared t'death!" Raphael retorted in frustration. "Damn, Leo, what the hell were you thinkin'?!"  
  
After a moment's thought, Leonardo gave a quiet sigh. "Those nightmares..."  
  
Raphael frowned and shook his head, sitting Indian-style on the floor as he regarded his brother. "What the hell were those nightmares about, anyway? T'scare you so bad?"  
  
"It kept repeating itself was the problem... and the images just wouldn't leave my head. A wall collapsed, and Master Splinter..."  
  
The severity of the dreams his brother had been suffering struck Raphael like a blow to the head, and his eyes widened. He understood why that must've scared him... anything happening to their father and master was one of all of their fears. "...No wonder y'didn't wanna talk ta Master Splinter about it..."  
  
Leonardo stared at his brother for a moment. "You understand?"  
  
"Hell yes." The younger folded his arms. "That'd be pretty awkward."  
  
The older pondered this for a moment, then nodded. "That's true." A pause. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"Master Splinter's still meditating, and Casey took April home. Donny had some things he wanted to get from April's and 'e took Mikey with 'im... we left a lot of stuff behind when we came runnin' here last night. Sensei seemed to know you were in trouble." He grinned, wickedly and yet with great jest. "Just like you to be the one, though."  
  
Leonardo just rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Raph."  
  
=====  
  
"Here, Mikey, take this. This should be everything." The intellectual brother wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, letting out a short sigh. "I still find it so strange, though..."  
  
Michelangelo blinked, glancing over at Donatello with an expression of curiosity. "What's strange?"  
  
The other shook his head a little, reaching down to pick up his bag. "The fact that we didn't find one single clue about those attacks around here. It's almost like it was a ploy to draw us out..."  
  
Instantly, the youngest sibling was ready for anything, fists clenched, even around the things he carried. The result was Donatello tensing as well, listening as Michelangelo spoke, "You think it might've been...?"  
  
"...Doubtful."  
  
Both relaxed. "Oh..."  
  
Things in that alley were far from quiet, however. As they were preparing to leave, a noise caught Michelangelo's attention from the shadows. His eyes shot in that direction, but before he could alert his sibling, something cold and hard cracked across the side of his head and face. Donatello spun, dropping his bag. "Mikey--OOF!"  
  
Something hit his gut, hard enough to render him seeing stars, winding him and preventing him from getting up. His eyes were wide and he watched in silent horror as he tried as hard as he could to regain his composure as something unseen and deadly whaled on his younger brother. /Oh god no... Foot Tech Ninjas!/  
  
Michelangelo tried to make heads or tails of the situation as weapons and limbs struck him repeatedly, one continually ramming his shell against the brick wall behind him, causing a stabbing pain every time he struck. His vision was growing blurry, and he reached for his nunchaku, desperately trying to free himself from his tormentors before they could unleash this horrible punishment on his brother as well. He knew as well as Donatello that it was the Foot Tech Ninjas, cloaked and hidden from their vision. /Dirty fighting!/ he hissed mentally as a fist he could not see slammed across his face. /And I can't get away!/  
  
There had to be at least five to hold Michelangelo without him getting free. That was Donatello's only thought. How else could they manage? Michelangelo was by no means the strongest - if anything, he was the furthest from it, but he was most certainly the fastest. Normally, he could have flipped away from the onslaught, but only if there had been three attackers... and if their place of combat had not been a dank alley.  
  
Finally, Donatello pulled himself together, reaching for his bo staff. Remembering his training, especially after Leonardo had insisted they all grow more wary of these soldiers, he closed his eyes tight and just concentrated, as hard as he could.  
  
Then, he flung himself into battle, not once opening his eyes. His bo staff flew like it had a mind of its own, always missing Michelangelo, but finding its mark in the cloaking devices of the dreaded Foot Tech.  
  
Soon, seven soldiers had made themselves visible and Donatello opened his eyes. Michelangelo was unmoving on the ground, and the sight of the damage done to him infuriated the normally peaceful brother. "You'll pay for hurting my brother!"  
  
Once again, he let himself go, attacking with all the speed and fury of a well-trained ninja... in the battle for family, for vengence, and for honor. At long last, the Foot Tech retreated, and Donatello rushed to his brother's side, weakly murmuring, "Mikey...?"  
  
When the other did not respond, panic ripped through Donatello's mind. He didn't want to risk moving him very far, so he went for the next best place...  
  
ShellCell in hand, he steadied his voice just enough to stammer out. "April? It's Don. I have a problem..."  
  
=====  
  
April was in some amount of shock as she looked at the damage Michelangelo had taken. While his injuries externally were not as severe as Leonardo's had been after his encounter with Shredder's elite ninja, she could see by the scrapes and cracks that marred his shell that he was far from "fine" internally. "Donny, is he going to be okay?"  
  
"...I don't know. I'm trying to get ahold of Raphael right now... to have him tell Master Splinter. But he doesn't seem to be responding."  
  
"That's 'cause he's right behind ya, Donny."  
  
Donatello spun. The doorway was wide open, and the turtle in question stood there. A somewhat battered Leonardo was braced at his shoulder, and Splinter followed behind him. Leonardo stared for a moment at Michelangelo's form before he looked towards April and Donatello. "What happened to him...?"  
  
"Foot Tech Ninjas," was Donatello's quiet response. "They came at us out of nowhere... knocked the wind out of me, and then proceeded to beat the unholy hell out of Mikey..."  
  
Splinter frowned, glancing at Leonardo, who appeared to be in a state of confused shock. "It would appear we have found the true nature behind your mysterious nightmares, my son."  
  
In response, the eldest just nodded dumbly, trying to make heads or tails of this situation. His youngest brother was hurt. He had foolishly given in to the fears of his own mind, and now, Michelangelo was unconscious and his life was at risk, even in his wounded state. "Sensei... I want..."  
  
The rat said nothing. He just nodded, helping his eldest son to kneel next to the couch where Michelangelo lay. "I think it is best if we left you with your brother for a while, Leonardo."  
  
Donatello and Raphael were reluctant to leave their brothers, but they did as they were instructed. Shortly after, April followed the three into the kitchen, leaving Leonardo alone with his thoughts.  
  
"...I'm really sorry about this, Mikey..." Leonardo barely even murmured the words he spoke. "I wasn't thinking. Because of that, you could have died. You're still in danger, really. I'm supposed to protect all of you, and I only ended up not heeding my dream's secondary meaning... my need to pay attention to my surroundings. I was not attentive in the nightmare, and because of that, Master Splinter..." He sighed. "The message of the dream should have been clear to me. That I had to remain attentive to protect my family as a whole."  
  
His fists clenched where he had them resting in his lap, but his words stopped at the sound of a voice from the doorway behind him. "It ain't your fault, y'know, Leo..."  
  
Leonardo's form tensed instantly, and his voice held a warning tone. "I'm not in the mood, Raphael."  
  
"God, how many times am I gonna hafta hear you say that in my life? No, 'Nice to see you too, bro'?"  
  
"If you have anything to say, at least wait until Mikey's awake."  
  
At that, Raphael's eyes narrowed, and he stalked over to stand over Leonardo with an expression that read of his temper, and barely restraining it. "What? You think all I came in here for was to yell atcha? Or to yell at Mikey?" He growled. "Well, I got news for ya, Leo. As much as I get pissy with you or pick on Mikey, you're still my brothers, a'ight? I don't like this any more than you do."  
  
The two were silent for a moment as Raphael sat. Finally, Leonardo glanced towards his more volatile brother, muttering, "You're being strangely complacent. Who are you and what did you do with Raphael?"  
  
"I'm allowed to worry 'bout you guys too," Raphael retorted indignantly. "B'sides... it's my job to pick on Mikey. I'll be damned if anyone hurts 'im and I don't kick their asses."  
  
Leonardo couldn't help but laugh at Raphael's quirk. For all the torment he put their baby brother through, he was viciously protective, and if anyone so much as looked at Michelangelo cross-eyed, they had to answer to him. After a moment, the leader found his voice again. "I'm sure Mike will be fine. He's..."  
  
"A frickin' stubborn bastard, when it comes down to it. Mikey's got the strength to pull through this. Don't worry about it, Leo." He stood, reaching down just briefly to put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't let it get ya down... okay? You'll start actin' like me, and I think there's only room for one wiseass bastard in the group. I'd hafta fight ya for that title."  
  
=====  
  
The days passed slowly, and for almost two weeks, Michelangelo did not move. He murmured in his unconscious state, occasionally shifting, but never waking. Leonardo was moving his arm better, the fracture from before having been thankfully far less severe than Donatello had originally surmised.  
  
It was as he sat at another of his silent vigils that Master Splinter came up beside him again. "Here, my son... this tea will soothe your nerves."  
  
Leonardo looked up, then gave somewhat of a tired smile as he accepted the cup from his mentor. "Thank you, Master Splinter."  
  
The rat nodded as he knelt beside his son, a keen spark in his eyes as he watched him drink the offered tea. In his tired state, his guard was down so greatly that he did not even notice the herbs his sensei had added to the mixture, intended to slip him into a deep rest.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he questioned as Leonardo lowered the cup, his ears flicking foreward in waiting.  
  
For a moment, Leonardo wasn't sure how to answer. His eyelids felt suddenly very heavy and his whole body seemed to suddenly be demanding he sleep... right then and there. "I feel... sleepy. Really sleepy."  
  
He weaved once, then started to tip. Splinter was a split second quicker, both catching the cup and his son in one deft movement, just in time for Raphael to wander in. The red-clad brother blinked, tilting his head to one time. "Whassamatter with 'im, sensei? Did he faint?"  
  
"He was in need of sleep, and that I have given to him," was the master's vague reply. "I cannot carry him alone. Please take your brother someplace he can rest, Raphael."  
  
Raphael watched quietly, then nodded as he knelt to pick up his brother. "Not a problem, sensei. Leo needed the rest... this'll be good for 'im."  
  
Splinter just nodded as he watched the pair. While close in age, the two could not be more different, and despite it, he was amazed at how dedicated and loyal Raphael was when it came down to the wire.  
  
Once the two were out of sight, Splinter turned his attention back to Michelangelo. "You will pull through, my son..." he sighed quietly. "Be strong."  
  
=====  
  
"Hm... I see... their leader is asleep again." Dark eyes travelled over the screen in front of him. For the briefest of moments, he cursed this strange spiderdroid body he had, but as there was little he could do to change his fate now, he lived with it. "Good. I can turn the machine up to full power, then."  
  
Dr. Baxter Stockman was a genius, but power mad and dangerous. Or he had been, before the Shredder had rendered him helpless, a veritable 'head in a tin can', as Stockman himself liked to growl when the 'master' was not looking.  
  
The discussion over the machine had been brief, and with Hun as opposed to the Shredder himself. The oversized muscle could not possibly comprehend the complexity of the special device. All he could decide from hearing the description of the thing was that it would be the Turtles' undoing, and that was what news he took back to the Shredder.  
  
The device Baxter Stockman had created was far more than a simple machine. It was a special weapon, meant to alter the brainwaves in a sleeping subject, causing nightmares and - if pumped to full power - fully controlled sleepwalking. Stockman had every intention of using it to cause a ruckus amongst the Turtles, turning their trusted leader against them, killing them with their own.  
  
A grin crossed his face as one of the mechanical limbs of his new body clicked a switch, and a few guages showed what he wanted to see.  
  
The machine's power climbed to full, indicating a fully controlled sleepwalking state... now, he only had one dilemma to hash out.  
  
Which of his family to go after first.  
  
==To Be Continued== 


	2. The Crying Game

{/Author's Note: okee, I'd like to sincerely apologize for the lack of Don, Mikey, April, and Casey in the first chapter. Mostly, I was just setting the stage. Donny is my favorite Turtle, and look at me, totally neglecting him. I feel like a failure of a Donatello fan. :o  
  
Look for much more of at least Don and Casey in this chapter (time will tell when or if Mikey will come back to the forefront... dundunduuuuuuuuun).  
  
Many thanks to all of you who reviewed, and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. This'll be a shorter chapter... but, I have my reasons. :3/}  
  
{={Eyes Wide Shut}=}  
  
{{Part 2: The Crying Game}}  
  
Violent images flashed in his mind. His brothers, dead. His master, slain. And on his hands, the blood of all of them, irresponsibility the culprit and inattentiveness the guide.  
  
He saw their murderer plainly. He sat calmly, staring into nothing in a meditative state. The Shredder, their hated nemesis.  
  
He wasn't paying any attention. So deep was he in meditation that Leonardo could have screamed and he wouldn't have noticed. He opted, however, for a more silent approach.  
  
He drew his katana from their sheaths against his shell and moved in for the final blow. Shredder gave no honor or quarter... now, Leonardo would grant none in return.  
  
=====  
  
Donatello frowned as he worked at an almost feverish pace on an invention. He would tell no one what it was, but he assured them that he had every faith that it would quell Leonardo's violent nightmares and return him to the calm, rational turtle they all knew and loved.  
  
It was not like his brother to have such horrible nightmares. His brow furrowed. Leonardo was the cool-headed one, the calm one, the one with the skills of tactics and strategy. Moreover, he was the only one that could weather Raphael's stormy mood-swings, calm Michelangelo's hyperactivity, and draw Donatello from his tinkering long enough to eat or sleep.  
  
They needed him.  
  
His concentration was broken suddenly and abruptly by a shout from April and a crash from the other room. There was a scuffle, Splinter shouting something, another crash, and then silence. More shouting followed after a moment, and a cry from Raphael that sounded something along the lines of, "Sweet Jesus, Leo! What the flying fuck's gotten inta you?!"  
  
Unable to concentrate and wondering what in the world had just gotten trashed in the other room, Donatello stopped what he was doing and rushed into the other room. He felt his heart sink into his stomach at the sight before him. Leonardo holding the remains of a wooden chair... Raphael shouting at him, trying to draw him out of some sort of dazed state... but there on the floor, bleeding and broken, was Splinter.  
  
Their mentor, their teacher, their father. He wasn't moving.  
  
"Leo?!" Donatello exclaimed. He searched his brother's face for any hint of emotion, but found none. "He's sleepwalking! Raph, distract him! Stall him! Anything! He doesn't actually see US! I can stop him, but I need time to finish working!"  
  
Raphael stared at his younger brother before a wicked grin crossed his features, eyes narrowing to slits behind his bandana as he spun on a dime to face Leonardo fully, cracking his knuckles with malicious intent. "Oh-hoho... I've waited fer this for a LONG time..."  
  
=====  
  
Leonardo's mind was a turmoiled mix of jumbled thoughts. He thought he heard his brothers' voices, yelling for him to 'come back', but he could not see them.  
  
Tricks of the mind, he assumed. They were dead, and the dead could not speak. He stared at the body of the Shredder before him, triumphant at last as blood stained the blades of his katana. His eyes narrowed in sudden surprise, however, as beside the man appeared one of his dreaded Elite.  
  
Growling slightly, the leader lunged at the figure. The Elite Ninja were dangerous armed, but this one appeared to have no weapons present. All the easier for Leonardo, who had made certain to train particularly hard just for this one battle to return...  
  
=====  
  
The sudden lunge gave Raphael barely an instant to think as Leonardo weighed him to the floor. He was still weilding the broken chair, and while not as deadly under normal circumstances as the eldest's katana, it was just as lethal when the other couldn't see that he was fighting his own brother and not an unseen foe.  
  
Donatello and April had quickly moved Michelangelo and Splinter out of the room and while April cared for the injured rat, Donatello set to work on his machine once more.  
  
Raphael, of course, was more than happy to just keep fighting. He had been pinned at first, but while his hotheadedness often hid a great deal of skill, he tapped all that he could in that moment, coiling the muscles in his legs to strike Leonardo hard at the stomach area of his plastron, sending the other flying across the room. He wasn't as talented as Leonardo at times, but he prided himself on strength... and when dealing with a sleepwalker, strength was truly what one needed.  
  
He only found himself pinned again, his brother's fists whaling against his chest, shoulders, and face than he ever dreamed could come from Leonardo. The calm one was actually HURTING him.  
  
Raphael coughed hard, then rolled to reverse their positions. He needed the upper-hand in this fight. He would not let Leonardo overpower him.  
  
In the meanwhile, Donatello was chewing on a straw as a replacement for anything else as he nervously worked. His eyes continually darted to the unconscious form of his sensei, but he knew in order to prevent a further mistake, he had to keep his wits about him.  
  
He heard the shouting in the other room as easily as April. Raphael was losing, and losing badly. Finally, he called out, "How's it going in there, Raph?!"  
  
There was a shout as Raphael found himself flung across the room, and a crash as his shell was planted rather firmly in the drywall. A groan followed before Raphael responded, "I got 'im on the ropes, kid!"  
  
Donatello hardly believed that. As quick as he could, he twisted some screws and reached for a knob. "Hang on, Raphy! Let's just hope this works!"  
  
=====  
  
The Elite Ninja was far weaker than Leonardo had expected. He was uncertain as to why... until suddenly, the image he saw began to blur and fade. The Elite Ninja he had thrown into a rock slowly became Raphael, slumped tiredly against the wall, barely conscious and panting to catch his breath. A trickle of blood streamed from the corner of his mouth, and his skin was mottled with bruises from the beating he had already taken.  
  
Slowly, his dark brown eyes lifted to Leonardo, and despite his condition, he managed a typically cocky smile. "Damn," he hissed. "I can't even beat ya when you're sleepwalkin'."  
  
Raphael was badly injured, that much Leonardo could see, and from his words... Leonardo blinked sleep from his eyes as he put together the pieces in his mind. "Raph... was it... did I do this to you...?"  
  
"Don't worry about it, bro," the other muttered out, staggering to his feet. "I'll be okay." Then, he slumped, knees giving out. "Or not..."  
  
Leonardo didn't know what to say or do. His brother lay wounded, and he was at fault. As he walked over to kneel beside Raphael, gently helping the other to stand, Donatello and April strode into the room. It had been quite some time since Leonardo had last seen Donatello so stressed, the worry and pain evident in his eyes. "Leo," he mumbled softly, fumbling over his own words much like he had as he learned to speak when they were young, "you... need to see something..."  
  
The pair made their way into the other room, then. On the table sat the invention that had brought Leonardo back from his nightmare, but on a makeshift futon on the floor lay the one person Leonardo did not want to see harmed... ever. Splinter was not moving, injuries obvious about his head and muzzle. While he did not truly want to know the answer to his question, he asked it anyway. "Donny... what happened to him...?" There was no response. April swore that Leonardo paled, even though she knew it not possible. "No... I did it?!"  
  
"Leo, it wasn't your fault," April insisted. "You were under some sort of control, according to what Donny's told me."  
  
It did not seem that Leonardo was listening. His hands and arms were shaking, even as he helped Raphael to sit down in a more comfortable seat. He had done this. He had tried to kill Raphael with his own hands, and done severe - if not permanent - damage to their master and father.  
  
His vision blurred. He felt sick, tired, weak, alone. He wanted to lose himself, but meditation could not help him now.  
  
He didn't wait for words from his brothers or from April. In shock and terrified at what had happened, he sprinted out of the room. Raphael instantly climbed to his feet as quickly as he could. "Leo!" His legs gave way beneath him, causing him to fall face-first to the floor. "Leo, hold up! Getcher ass back here!"  
  
"It's too late, Raph," Donatello stated quietly as he leaned out a window. "He's gone. Down into the sewers. He knows the way better than any of us. He could lose himself there in places we'd never find him."  
  
Raphael stared for a moment, then cursed, slamming his fist into the floor hard enough to nearly break his own knuckles. "I am gonna find the sorry bastard who did this ta Leo, and I'm gonna fuck 'em up so bad, their own grannies won't know 'em!"  
  
Sighing, April knelt to help Raphael sit. "Getting angry isn't going to help."  
  
"Sure as hell makes ME feel better."  
  
The room fell silent once more until Donatello frowned, moving to climb out the window to follow his brother. "That machine I developed won't stop whoever was controlling him if he gets too far away from it. He's likely to pass out from overexhertion, and if he does that, the person who did this to him can take control again." He glanced down at the floor. "Leonardo is skilled when he's not even trying, but imagine what he could do if it was wild agression, like it was before! He took you out, sure... but he does that a lot. He took out Master Splinter, and that's no small feat!"  
  
Both April and Raphael nodded, understanding exactly how dire the situation had become. After a moment, Raphael locked eyes with his little brother. "Yo, Donny... be careful, a'ight?"  
  
The inventor paused, then flashed his brother a grin that may have passed as assured if he was more certain of what he was doing. "When am I not, Raphy?"  
  
Raphael just grinned. "That's what I'm afraid of. G'wan, get outta here, Don. Find Leo before 'e gets 'imself hurt."  
  
The younger turtle grinned again before he disappeared down the fire escape and into the sewers after their eldest brother.  
  
=====  
  
How?  
  
How could he let himself go like that?  
  
How could he possibly go back after he had been so weak of mind that he had been controlled, hurting his brothers and worse, their father?  
  
His mind raced with a thousand questions, even as he ran. He heard footsteps behind him, and the pattern of the run was for him easily recognizable as Donatello's. Narrowing his eyes, he upped his loping stride to a sprint. All he had to do was outrun his brother. Donatello was as tough as he, but more easily winded than Leonardo. He just had to get away.  
  
After so much loss of sleep, his body revolted violently against the sudden exhertion he was placing upon it. His muscles rapidly began to ache, and he actually found himself laboring to breathe... a feeling he thought he had trained out of himself.  
  
Exhaustion wore thin on his already tired mind and he stumbled, catching himself on the sewer wall as he rested his forehead against his arm. He was panting for breath, and he could still hear Donatello approaching from behind.  
  
He turned as if to say something to his brother, to get him to leave, but his legs decided against this movement of their own volition. His knees buckled under his weight and he collapsed, landing on his side in the muck, lingering on the edge of unconsciousness as he fought to stay awake.  
  
He could hear Donatello talking to him, calling his name. His voice sounded like it was coming through so much water.  
  
"Leo? Leo, whatever you do, don't fall asleep! Do you understand me, Leonardo? Don't fall asleep!"  
  
As much as Leonardo wanted to heed his little brother's wishes, his mind told him otherwise, and even as his brother instructed him to stay awake, he let his eyes fall closed and fell into a fitful slumber. Donatello stiffened. "...This is bad. Very, very bad."  
  
=====  
  
Since Donatello had headed after Leonardo, Raphael had kept a twin vigil (after April had bandaged his wounds, putting his bound arm in a comfortable sling), both over his baby brother and over their father. Currently, he was sitting by Splinter, his eyes showing obvious worry for the first time since Casey, whose assistance had shortly after been called in as a just-in-caser, had known him.  
  
Of course, Casey Jones was a loner... but he worried about his friends. This was serious, even though he hadn't quite understood the explaination Donatello had given earlier on his theory as to why Leonardo was acting so strangely. It was a foreign language to him. All he knew was that the machine somewhere was giving Leonardo nightmares and making him do strange things.  
  
That was enough for him.  
  
He leaned against the doorframe as he watched Raphael, not really noticing April at the moment, who stood just behind him. She frowned, placing a hand on his arm as she noticed his distraught expression. "Casey...?"  
  
"Huh?!" The young man blinked, turning dark blue eyes to April, who looked almost as concerned for him as the boys. He tilted his head to one side. "What?"  
  
"You look upset about something. Is everything okay?"  
  
Casey blinked, then allowed an easy smile to slip onto his face as he looked back at his friend. "Just think' 'bout my old man. I don't wanna see the guys lose their dad anythin' like how I lost mine." He sighed as his smile faltered. "An' Mikey. He's like a little brother t'me, y'know what I'm sayin'? It ain't right that this's happenin' ta them."  
  
His words surprised April and she blinked, watching as he pushed away from the doorframe, heading towards where he had leaned his golf bag. "...Casey?"  
  
"That's why I'm gonna help Don find Leo. Then, I'm gonna find out who did this an' take 'em out... for my friends." He grinned as he fitted his hockey mask over his face. "See ya, toots."  
  
Before April could even shoot back a retort, or before Raphael could yell at his human friend for being 'a damned idiot', the man was out the door. April threw her arms in the air, exhasperated. "This day just keeps getting better and better!"  
  
"Betta not ask what else could go wrong," Raphael mumbled lowly as he shifted in his seat, one hand resting over Splinter's. "We've got enough problems as it is."  
  
=====  
  
Donatello couldn't help but grumble to himself as he headed back towards April's through the winding sewer paths. His brother was heavier than he looked, and he still didn't know how far the reach of his device was. Leonardo could come into a sense of controlled awareness at any time, and he could do nothing to stop him. If their fearless leader had managed to take out Splinter, imagine what he could do to him!  
  
"Donny?" Donatello lifted his head at the sound of a familiar voice in a tunnel ahead. "Yo, Don, you found 'im yet?"  
  
Shifting his brother to carry him more comfortably, Donatello took a breath and shouted back, "Casey! Down here!"  
  
Within a few minutes, Donatello had been located by the hockey-masked vigilante, who looked at Leonardo with some amount of concern. "He okay, Don?"  
  
"I can't say for sure yet," responded Donatello quietly. "We need to get him back to April's. The farther we get from the machine I designed, the more of a risk we're at that he'll go nuts and try to kill us!"  
  
Casey nodded. He understood the basics of that, and that was what was important.  
  
Neither of them noticed Leonardo's hand twitch, or his eyes slipping open, staring at the floor but not really seeing it in his 'sleeping' state.  
  
Donatello didn't have even the slightest fraction of a second to respond as Leonardo suddenly wrenched free of his grasp, twisting and ducking to throw his younger brother into Casey. Human and turtle tumbled to the sewer floor, staring at Leonardo in shock once they regained their composure.  
  
"Don... what the hell's goin' on...?!"  
  
After swallowing hard, Donatello shook his head. "To put it in terms you can understand, Casey..." he murmured as Leonardo advanced, picking up a broken pipe and weilding it like his katana, "we're about to have our heads beat in by one very unwitting turtle!"  
  
==To Be Continued== 


	3. Race with the Devil

{/Author's Note: When we last left our heroes...  
  
Hehe, nah, I'm not gonna recap. I'm sure if you've been following along, you know exactly where we are! Short chapter, but I'm not in the mood to make another chapter as long as that first one... chapters four and five are already looking to be pretty long! Anyway, though, a word of thanks.  
  
Reinbeauchaser (or Rene ), I really appreciate your latest review! I'd definitely run my stuff through spellchecker if I had it (I'm writing my stuff on wordpad, sob), so I've discussed the issue with my best pal and part-time beta reader KayceeRonin. She'll run the fics through spellchecker herself for me. I'll go back and fix my errors in the previous chapters in time. Many thanks!  
  
To Kaycee, it's all your fault that this story ended up multi-chaptered! Don't even tell me not to blame you... because I BLAME you. X3  
  
Thanks to everyone who complimented my use of accents in this particular story. I have to admit it's extremely difficult to pull it off efficiently. Both him and Casey have that Brooklyn speech pattern that almost sounds illiterate (and DOES sound illiterate if you're Casey --;). Also, I apologize both belatedly AND ahead of time for Raphael's potty mouth... but I seriously see him as the one who can't keep a lid on anything, especially not what he wants to say. I'll bet he got his mouth washed out with soap a LOT as a kid...  
  
On a final note, if anyone's interested, there's still three characters open in an rp we have on GreatestJournal... just look up the community/username 'turtlepower'. We still need Hun, Casey Jones, and Baxter Stockman... and original characters are welcome as well!/}  
  
{={Eyes Wide Shut}=}  
  
==Part 3: Race with the Devil==  
  
This day could not possibly get any worse.  
  
Donatello had decided upon that fact from the moment his feet had left the ground when Leonardo, unknowing of what he was doing, flipped and flung his unwary younger brother right into Casey Jones. Casey himself certainly must've been suffering from the shell of a 180-pound turtle slamming into his abdomen. After all, who wouldn't be?  
  
It was hard for him to fathom what Leonardo could be seeing instead of his friends. Perhaps the Elite Foot, or the dreaded Mystic Ninjas?  
  
Whatever it was, he knew from the expression on Leonardo's face that it could not have been good. Dizzy from the throw, he pulled himself to his feet before helping Casey stand. The human gave a low groan, resting a hand just below his breastplate. "Damn... I hate bein' one-upped, but this is sad. Whata we gotta do ta get through ta him, Don?"  
  
Donatello swallowed. He had no idea what to say, and even less of a clue what to do. He wanted desperately to help his brother... but now, just this once, he found himself staring at a problem he had no immediate fix for. "To be honest, I have no idea." Casey gave him a look that read of panic. "I'm serious! This is a totally out-of-the-ordinary situation... I haven't had time to think of a plan!"  
  
Growing steadily more unnerved by the situation, Casey barely managed to hold in a shout as he jumped back, dodging the downward swing of the pipe in Leonardo's hands. "Y'betta think faster, Donny... or he's gonna mop the floor with us!"  
  
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Donatello cried, ducking under another sweep. "But I don't think so well on my feet...!"  
  
=====  
  
"They should be back by now, April. I'm gonna go look for 'em!"  
  
Raphael was vehement about going after Donatello at this point, and at first, April thought there would be no way to subdue him. But an injured Raphael was a less-violent Raphael, and despite his rowdy nature, he would never strike a woman. Especially not April.  
  
Beyond that, however, whenever he began to get riled up about finding Donatello, he would find himself pinned by the sight of his baby brother and his father, both of them unable to defend themselves. He trusted April to take care of them, but who would take care of her if the Foot came after this place while they were weak and defenseless?  
  
Finally, he gave a disheartened sigh, sinking to the floor next to Michelangelo. The younger of the two brothers groaned in his sleep, turning his head to one side. Almost instinctively, Raphael tensed, reaching up with his uninjured hand to give his brother's arm a comforting squeeze. "S'all right, Mikey... everything's gonna be fine."  
  
He hadn't worried quite as much about Splinter, but only because April had constantly watched over the old rat, and had finally told him his wounds weren't serious enough to be life or health threatening. It was Michelangelo that held his attention now, as his condition was worsening more than it was improving. Donatello was the only one with the medical know-how to help, and he was off chasing Leonardo, who could very well have slipped back into whatever was wrong with him by now!  
  
April frowned as she watched Raphael's face grow darker and darker as he continued to stew in his own thoughts. Sitting on her knees beside him, she gave a sigh, trying to lighten the mood with one of her pleasant smiles. "How's Mikey doing, Raph...?"  
  
"No betta," replied Raphael lowly. "Lookit 'im. He hasn't moved 'cept for turnin' his head or groanin'."  
  
Twisting her hands together, April turned her eyes to Michelangelo's still form. "He's just resting... he needs time to recover--..."  
  
"Don't give me no fuckin' sugar-coatin' here, April! Mikey's in a lotta danger... I know damn well he could DIE." April winced, but Raphael continued his tirade, his temper pushed far past its limits. "Master Splinter's hurt too... I know he can make it. He's tough, real tough. Tougher than we'll ever be. But Mikey... well, it's Mikey!"  
  
"I believe that will be quite enough, Raphael. Miss O'Neil is only doing what she can to help."  
  
The voice that spoke from behind them was quiet, but easily recognizable. Black eyes stared at them as they glanced back at him, framed by graying silver fur and set within a kind, knowing face. Raphael swallowed, forcing back the relief he wanted to show, afraid of how weak it may make him look. "Sensei... you're awake!"  
  
The rat was sitting up, looking tired but healthy. His eyes were focused on his sons, then at April, and finally, he took a good look around the room. He appeared distraught. "I let my guard down before... you all were in danger."  
  
Raphael stared at his master for a moment before turning, brow furrowed as he shook his head. "It ain't your fault, Master. Whoeva did that to Leo... they're ta blame." A growl escaped his throat after a moment. "And whoever it is, I'm gonna make 'em pay."  
  
Splinter frowned at that, standing up uncertainly. April moved to stand beside him, hands resting on his shoulders as he let out an uneasy sigh. "Thank you, Miss O'Neil... it would seem I still have much to do in the way of recovery."  
  
"Don't push y'self too hard, Sensei." Raphael stood, watching his mentor with a worried gaze. "Here... y'betta siddown."  
  
The rat complied with a quiet sigh before looking around once again, concern etched into his every feature. "Where are Leonardo and Donatello?"  
  
"I wish we knew, Master Splinter," April replied softly. "I really wish we knew..."  
  
=====  
  
In the sewer where Leonardo had suddenly turned on Donatello and Casey, things were not going in their favor. Donatello had suggested trying to lead Leonardo back towards April's apartment in the hopes that if they got him within range, the mind control would be reversed and they could calm him down and bring him home.  
  
Every time they started to move back, though, the unknowing turtle would run, and Donatello and Casey would be after him again.  
  
Things were looking particularly grim at this point. Both of those in pursuit of the oldest turtle were becoming tired, and being asleep was obviously a plus for Leonardo. Finally, Donatello let out an agitated sigh. "That's it. We're gonna have to fight him."  
  
"What're you, nuts?!" cried Casey. "He's on a warpath, an' you think we can take 'im out?! I thought you were the SMART one, Donny!"  
  
"That doesn't mean I know everything!"  
  
The two dodged again as Leonardo lunged once more, this time managing to sweep the broken pipe so close to Donatello's arm that he swore it broke skin. He was getting sloppy, and he knew it was because he was wearing down.  
  
There had to be some way to lead Leonardo back to the range of his machine... some way to help him!  
  
Lost in his thoughts, Donatello hadn't heard Casey shouting at him to watch his back, and had not noticed Leonardo's sudden recovery and second lunge. The broken pipe caught him hard across the shoulder, and a second time across the face. Donatello staggered, stumbling back to catch the wall as pain coursed through him from the blows. His older brother had struck him in practice with the wooden weapons they had used as children, but he never recalled being in this much pain in comparison.  
  
"Donny!" Casey called over. "You all right?!"  
  
Although he knew the answer otherwise, Donatello nodded. "I'll distract him, Casey! You go topside... tell April and Raph what's going on down here! I can hold 'im!"  
  
Casey froze where he stood, uncertain as to whether or not he should listen. He shifted uncertainly on his feet. "You sure...?!"  
  
"Yes! Go!"  
  
Frowning, Casey took off in the direction they had come, leaving Donatello alone with the half-dazed Leonardo. The blue-clad brother didn't even seem asleep, an almost sharp eye focused on his little brother's every move.  
  
Donatello shifted uneasily, the throbbing in his arm making it nearly impossible for him to properly hold his bo. The bone in his upper arm was shattered, and he was still seeing spots from the blow to the head. His reaction time would be poor if this was a concussion, like he suspected.  
  
He almost wished he hadn't told Casey to leave.  
  
Suddenly, Leonardo lunged forward again, and one of the pipes caught Donatello once more across the face. A fourth hit followed, and a fifth, then a sixth.  
  
The brainiac could no longer stand straight. He leaned dizzily against a wall until a blow to his leg brought existence back to him in one staggering stab of excruciating pain. He tried to escape, but again, more blows followed, and soon, he collapsed under his own weight. His legs were broken in several places... how could Leonardo ever be this cruel?! He reminded himself again... it wasn't his brother doing this.  
  
Hissing in pain, he recalled reading that a sleepwalker was a dangerous person... they could attack unprovoked... do things they never would have done awake. He would have contemplated on the matter further, but the dull crack of the pipe across his neck and head sent him spiraling into unconsciousness faster than he could blink.  
  
=====  
  
Casey frowned as he ran, unable to really shake the feeling that behind him, something was horribly wrong.  
  
He had left Donatello alone to fend off Leonardo, who certainly wasn't in his right mind... even Casey knew that. He could be hurt, or worse!  
  
Although he had gone on Donatello's request, he couldn't in good conscience leave his pal back there alone. And so, Casey Jones turned around, spinning his hockey stick in one hand before running back to where the pair had been fighting.  
  
He nearly ran directly into Donatello, who was moving in a way that told Casey he was not at all 'okay'. Frowning, he reached to brace his friend, who was panting through gritted teeth. He had heard that there was some ninja technique that allowed a fighter to mask their pain and return to wherever it was they needed to go, but if Donatello was using it, it was obviously not helping him much at all.  
  
"Donny, what the hell happened?!" the human questioned.  
  
Donatello just shook his head. "No time to explain, Casey! Follow Leonardo... I think he's headed to the Shredder's skyscraper!"  
  
Casey's shoulders tensed as he gave his friend as stern a look as he could muster. "I'll follow after I getcha ta April's, got it?"  
  
"There's no time!" Donatello was vehement, and the outburst seemed to cause him some pain. He bit back a groan of agony, then continued. "Who knows WHAT they'll do to Leo!"  
  
There wasn't much arguing with that. Casey set his jaw and nodded. "Got it. But don't you dare kick it. Got that, Donny?"  
  
The young turtle nodded as Casey ran past him, heading towards the nearest exit to make his way after the unknowing Leonardo.  
  
Donatello, on the other hand, pressed on. He could hardly move, let alone walk, his legs shooting hot daggers of pain through every inch of his body with every step he took.  
  
His vision was blurry by the time that he reached the manhole that led to the alley beside April's apartment, and he found he could not even focus on the rungs enough to grab them.  
  
He likely would have reached for his Shell Cell, but before he could, the pain finally came back full force as he lost the concentration that had been allowing him to move, and even to stay conscious. The purple-clad brother collapsed to his side, falling silent and still on the walkway, with no one the wiser of the critical injuries he had sustained...  
  
==To Be Continued== 


	4. Too Late for Fury

{/It's time for the mandatory author's note!  
  
Yeah, I'm getting really cruel with this. I can only imagine what Leo's psyche is going to look like when I'm done. This is also the chapter I got done quickest... want to know why?  
  
I spent most of the day I was on cart at work yesterday writing the entire first part on receipt paper! Of course, it's edited, but y'know how it is.  
  
Anyway, we're drawing closer and closer to the end. Part 5 is the final installment before the epilogue, but I'll warn you ahead of time... don't expect it to be a happy ending!  
  
Thanks to all of you who are still reading and supporting this story, sticking through all the angst to find out the conclusion. I appreciate your support!/}  
  
{={Eyes Wide Shut}=}  
  
==Part 4: Too Late for Fury==  
  
"Don't worry, Raph. I'll take care of Mikey."  
  
April's words were calm and held an air of confidence she rarely could show. The conversation had somehow finally drifted to whether or not Raphael should go after his brothers and Casey, who had been missing for well over four hours now... in all of their minds, that was far too long.  
  
Splinter did not want him to go, but in the end, it seemed to simply come down to Leonardo, Donatello, and Casey's safety. With Leonardo being controlled by someone in the shadows, the damage he could do to his brother and their human ally was unfathomable.  
  
The explanation had been almost too simple. "In waking, Leonardo is stout of mind and follows the warrior's code of honorable combat without question," Splinter stated quietly. "However, in sleep, one dreams... and those dreams play upon the truth of a warrior's convictions... exploiting what he truly feels towards a hated enemy, unleashing potential locked away by the waking mind, and releasing the rage that lies within all our hearts."  
  
At this, Raphael flinched. After their first encounter with the Shredder, he had heard - for countless nights, wandering restlessly past his brother's room - Leonardo mumbling horrid, inhumane threats in his sleep... things horrible enough to make even Raphael's skin crawl.  
  
His mind was made up at that point. Leonardo was dangerous, both to himself and to others at this point, and he would not lose his family to this. "Master, I'll bring 'em home," he swore. "I promise."  
  
A moment passed before Splinter's hand tightened on his walking stick, making it perfectly obvious that he did not fancy the thought of his son rushing into danger headlong as he tended to. However, he knew that this was for the good of them all, and in the end, he gave a tired sigh and nodded. "Mind your injuries and go with care... return to me safely, my son... find your brothers and Mr. Jones and bring them home safely as well."  
  
Raphael almost stopped, not wanting to leave his father with so much happening. Slowly, he nodded, and with an iron conviction that had driven him away from his brothers on countless occasions, he made his way out the window to find both them and his wayward friend.  
  
=====  
  
The area of the sewer into which Raphael descended held an unnatural sense of dread for the young turtle. The air felt heavy... something wasn't right.  
  
He nearly leapt five clean feet in the air when his foot brushed something on the walkway. Growling, he drew back his foot to kick the obstacle when his vision finally adjusted to the dark, and he saw just what was there. Instantly, he wished he was just having some horrible nightmare... that he would wake up any minute, and what he was seeing would turn out to be an illusion.  
  
"Donny...?!" he managed to gasp as his breath caught in his throat. He swallowed back a sudden, unfamiliar swell of fear, kneeling to carefully cradle his little brother. "Don, speak t'me..."  
  
The younger of the pair groaned, opening his eyes with a great deal of effort as he choked out in a near-delirious tone, "Raphy...? Issat you...?"  
  
Raphael swallowed again, forcing out one of his cocky smiles. "Yeah... it's me, Donny... c'mon, y'gotta talk t'me more th'n that, little bro... who did this to ya?"  
  
Donatello choked weakly, almost unable to find the strength to force out his words. But he did, and his words struck Raphael to the core. "S'not his fault, Raphy... Leo, he... he couldn't help it..."  
  
Raphael felt his heart skip a beat... he swore he did. "Leo? Leo did this?" he managed to choke out.  
  
The younger brother tried to respond, but instead he shuddered, gagging and coughing. Raphael was quick but careful, leaning Donatello over the sewer water as his stomach emptied itself rather violently.  
  
"God, Donny..." He felt panic rising, threatening to overcome rational thought. Donatello had told him once that with bad head injuries, the injured would often become nauseous and throw up. "We gotta get someplace safe... you need help."  
  
Weakly, Donatello shook his head. "Gotta help Casey... went after Leo... Shredder's tower..."  
  
As he spoke, his sentences became more and more broken and disjointed, the blow - or blows, from what Raphael could surmise - to the head far more serious than he had originally suspected. Raphael frowned, gritting his teeth against the pain his own body reminded him of as he gently lifted Donatello. "C'mon, little bro... I'll help Casey and Leo, I promise. I just gotta get you somewhere safe." Trying his hardest to balance climbing and carrying, Raphael made his way slowly back up the ladder. "Damn, April's gonna drop a brick..."  
  
=====  
  
April felt her heart sink right into her stomach when Raphael came back through the window far too soon after leaving. She didn't want to acknowledge the battered figure he held in his arms, but she couldn't help it. The purple bandana was the biggest clue, for the teen he carried was fully unconscious... and it was a safe bet that his current state was not a good thing.  
  
She saw Splinter gape, moving forward uncertainly, still a bit dizzy from his injuries. Quick eyes darted over his son's form before he stated, in a tone that led April to believe that even the master was having trouble holding back the flood of emotions that threatened to break through, "Quickly, my son. Lay him down and bring cold water and a cloth. Miss O'Neil, have you anything that could be used to splint his broken limbs?"  
  
Broken out of her thoughts by the sound of Splinter's voice, the woman nodded and jogged towards her bathroom. She had gotten into the habit of purchasing medical supplies whenever she could, and saving others that had been used by Casey. She was lucky to have an air cast for at least one leg, and splints and bandages for the other leg and arm.  
  
This made everyone. Every last turtle had been injured in this fight... even Leonardo, who had done the PHYSICAL damage.  
  
Michelangelo and Raphael would recover, Raphael far more easily. Leonardo would take time... if they managed to rescue him; the psychological damage after having been forced to attack his own family would be immense. It was Donatello whose health held the most uncertainty.  
  
April gave a gentle sigh as she returned to her living room, setting about placing splints to set Donatello's broken bones. The job would be a rather bang-up one, but it was better than letting the bones settle in injury. The concussion he had suffered, as well as the damage to his legs, worried her far more than his arm and the other bruises and lacerations, however. If he managed to - by some miracle - survive, he may never recover full use of his legs.  
  
A jolt of terror snaked its way rather suddenly up her spine. What if... what if he DIED?  
  
That was a thought April couldn't bear, but she could not shake it from her head, no matter how far back she pushed it. Almost since she had met them, April had played both mom AND big sister to the boys. Just thinking about losing any one of them tore into her heart like a fillet knife.  
  
She could only imagine how Splinter felt.  
  
The rat in mention was instructing Raphael on what to do, finally sending him to check on Michelangelo, whose condition had finally started to improve. Splinter moved his focus now to April and Donatello. April wrung her hands tightly together after she had completed her tasks, watching Splinter's expression change. Finally, the master lowered his head... to April, it almost looked as if he was conceding defeat.  
  
"Master Splinter...?" she questioned softly.  
  
Splinter blinked, looking at her before he shook his head, unable to even conjure up one of the encouraging smiles he might give to his sons. "In this mindless state, Leonardo is a far more potent enemy than even the Shredder himself. He will kill without remorse, unknowing of his actions... and should he learn of what he has done, it could very well destroy him." He looked at Donatello again, obviously worried by how quiet and still the teen remained. "Raphael and Michelangelo will make full recoveries, I trust... however, Donatello was never blessed with the fortitude his brothers share. I fear for his life, Miss O'Neil... I fear now more than I have in many, many years."  
  
The two remained silent for a while, even as Raphael informed them rather bluntly that with Michelangelo out of danger and Donatello in good hands, he was going to find Casey and Leonardo. Once he was out of sight, the woman let her eyes drift to the rat beside her, and despite her better judgement, she swore she saw an unfamiliar gleam in his focused eyes. Tears?  
  
Somehow, April felt like she knew where he stood.  
  
=====  
  
Pangs of guilt stabbed at Casey's gut as he ran along after Leonardo, who seemed to be moving much quicker than the human had ever seen him move. The hockey-masked vigilante was uncertain where this Shredder's skyscraper was, but whoever was controlling Leonardo obviously did, and was leading him off in the direction he needed to be going without a single pit-stop.  
  
His mind drifted to his friend back in the sewer, and his stomach twisted at the thought that Donatello was alone back there... his injuries were pretty bad, even if he couldn't make them out. He would have to hope that someone had found him.  
  
Casey allowed his thoughts to return to reality as Leonardo finally came to a stop near a building the human did not recognize. It came as a shock to him when Leonardo suddenly collapsed, falling to the pavement in an unmoving heap. The men that came out to drag him inside, however, he did recognize.  
  
Foot Ninja!  
  
A deep-rooted hatred flared up again and the man forgot his original intentions. He started to move forward when a hand came to rest on his shoulder, and instantly, he spun, hockey stick stopping inches from the side of a familiar face.  
  
"Whataya tryin' t'do, numbskull? Ruin my beautiful complexion?" the red-clad hothead sneered, sarcasm dripping from his every word.  
  
Casey blinked, then drew the hockey stick back as he smirked. "I woulda knocked your block clean off, Raph."  
  
Raphael snorted in reply, not bothering to fire back a retort as he turned to look up at the building. "So... this is where he came in the end, huh...? Probably that bastard Stockman's work."  
  
"You know who did this?" Casey questioned, tilting his head to one side.  
  
A chuckle. "Y'might say that." He looked up at the building again, then narrowed his eyes as he saw a hulking figure start to exit. "Don't look now, Space Case... but we got company."  
  
In response to his words, Casey's eyes turned towards the building and instantly widened. Hatred stabbed through him sharply, and he hissed, "It's Hun."  
  
Raphael growled, reaching for his sai as the mountain of a man approached, speaking as if he had known they would come. "Put down your weapons, both of you, and the freak inside might live to see another day."  
  
"You wouldn't hurt my brother," Raphael hissed. "The Shredder wants him alive... it's the rest of us he could give a flying fuck about!"  
  
If it had been anyone else, Casey would not have believed that those words would have come out of their mouth to the behemoth. However, this was Raphael... and he knew that Raphael was never one to back down from any sort of fight. Hun was not impressed by the show of bravado. "Perhaps," he replied in a growl. "However, I have no such compunctions about your fellows. Your brothers were badly wounded, and my sources tell me your master was injured as well. They are alone and helpless with that little red-haired witch... and with a snap of my fingers, I could have them all massacred."  
  
Something snapped in the back of Casey's mind. "Did you just call her a witch?" he growled lowly. "Nobody insults her around me, Hun. NOBODY."  
  
"Oh?" The brute seemed amused by Casey's anger. "And I suppose you plan to make me pay for my words?"  
  
Raphael tensed. This wasn't going well. "Yo, Case, cool it. Both of us gotta use our heads this time, a'ight?"  
  
There was a pause before Casey's sharp blue eyes, darkened from anger, shifted to the turtle. "Oh, I'll use my head all right. I'll use it ta bust his!"  
  
Hun smirked, almost as if he had seen the entire thing coming. He had pushed the buttons he knew would produce the desired effect, and he got what he wanted. Casey Jones lost control of his temper and lunged, hockey stick drawn back for the strike.  
  
What he got was instead a crack across the jaw, backhanded into the sidewalk rather easily by Hun. That was all it took to really get Raphael goaded into the fight... he would not allow anyone else to harm his family and friends! He would fight the whole damn lot of the Shredder's crew if it meant saving them... and that included Hun.  
  
The young turtle spun his sai in his hands. He would not let his family fall under any circumstances... especially not this one!  
  
=====  
  
Leonardo's mind registered a lazy sense of time loss as he started to return to awareness. The room he was in was unfamiliar... it looked nothing like the sewers, and certainly wasn't April's apartment or the lair. The room was far too sterile.  
  
Then, it sunk in with a dreadful heaviness. This was a laboratory.  
  
Hands shaking with the sudden sense of apprehension that overcame his senses, Leonardo turned in a full circle. How had he gotten here? Why could he remember almost nothing of the past few days? Where were his brothers? He vaguely recalled someone attacking Michelangelo... was he all right?!  
  
His eyes drifted slowly over the room, and the evidence of where he was seemed to be tattooed everywhere for him to see. The Foot symbol branded everything, seemingly permeated into the very heart of the whole building.  
  
The voice that spoke to him from the shadows struck him with a haunting sort of familiarity. "Welcome, Leonardo," chuckled the scientist. "You are an honored guest here."  
  
Stunned, Leonardo slowly turned, eyes falling on what was left of Baxter Stockman. "Stockman...?! You're alive...!"  
  
=====  
  
Raphael should have known that trying to face Hun angry and hurt was a bad idea, but things like that rarely registered to the berzerker until it was too late. This was one of those times. He had realized far too late that he and Casey should have backed off... planned their attack better. However, as he stood holding one sai loosely in his left hand, he could only really tell himself that hindsight - as Splinter had often told him - was 20/20.  
  
Casey slammed into the ground next to him, something in the back of his mind telling him the same thing. He was covered with bruises, scrapes, and lacerations, but from what he could tell, none of his injuries were too severe. "Raph," he panted, "we are gettin' our asses royally hammered."  
  
"No... ya think?!"  
  
The pair dodged just in time to avoid a fist crushing them both, and Raphael instantly moved to brace Casey, who was starting to tire. As much as Raphael hated to admit it, they may have to make a retreat. He did not want to leave Leonardo alone, but there was nothing that could be done just then.  
  
Bracing Casey against his side, the turtle began to make his escape, listening to Hun laugh mockingly as they left. He felt that familiar rage building inside him, but it was useless now. He had to, just this once, keep his head on straight if they were going to survive to save Leonardo.  
  
What they needed was Donatello... and only a miracle was going to bring his help to them now.  
  
=====  
  
When Casey and Raphael dragged themselves back into April's apartment, the entire place was quiet. Michelangelo had shifted positions, and it was obvious he had done so on his own. One weight lifted from Raphael's shoulders, knowing his baby brother was obviously greatly improved from his previous condition.  
  
After helping Casey to sit nearby, Raphael slowly limped to Donatello's side, where April and Splinter still knelt quietly beside him. He cleared his throat quietly, then murmured. "Sensei...? April...? How is 'e?"  
  
April just shook her head. "If he wakes up--..."  
  
"When," Raphael interrupted forcefully. "WHEN he wakes up."  
  
Swallowing, the woman corrected herself, not wanting to push Raphael's temper. "When he wakes up, it'll be a long road to recovery... he may never regain full use of his legs..."  
  
That, however, was quite enough to push him nearly past his limits. "Donny's neva given up before! I refuse ta believe he would now!"  
  
"Calm yourself, Raphael," Splinter instructed quietly as he stood, steadying his movements with his cane. "Miss O'Neil will do all that she can for Donatello. What have you and Mr. Jones found concerning Leonardo?"  
  
Raphael turned fully to face his father, his fists clenched at his sides. He swallowed, then spoke. "Whoeva's got his mind, they took 'im straight to the Shredder."  
  
"What?!" April exclaimed, standing up almost instantly. But why there?!"  
  
"Ta get 'im ta join 'em. Why else?" Raphael was barely reigning in his anger, wanting desperately to run in and rescue his brother from the clutches of the evil megalomaniac. While Leonardo was not the closest to him out of the brothers, he was always there for HIM... why shouldn't he do the same? "It ain't gonna be easy, but we hafta get in there and find a way to get Leo..."  
  
His words fell short when slowly, solemnly, Splinter shook his head. "If it is indeed the Shredder demanding Leonardo's allegiance, this may be a battle he must fight on his own."  
  
The room sank into silence once again until a groan alerted the group that Donatello was drifting back into the waking realm. His eyes flickered open and he looked over the group standing by him, his attention - as much as he could muster - finally focusing on Raphael as he mumbled softly, "Didj' save Leo...?"  
  
Raphael tensed, shaking his head. "No... but we will, Donny."  
  
The teen on the couch mumbled something, trying to sit up. April knelt beside him, trying to coax him to lay back down. "Shh, Donny, just lay still, okay?"  
  
"Y'think maybe he's tryin' t' tell ya somethin'?" Casey questioned, finally limping his way over to Donatello's side with the others.  
  
Donatello mumbled again, finally managing to stammer out, "Machine... full... full power... try... button on side..."  
  
His form tensed, and before he could say another word, he fell limp again. Raphael's fists clenched. "What's he talkin' about?"  
  
Splinter's brow furrowed, his hand coming to rest against his son's forehead as his whiskers flicked forward, ears tilting back. "I am uncertain..."  
  
"I think I might know," April interrupted, standing up. "The machine he built to block whoever was messing with Leo before... we have to turn it up to full power and push one of the buttons on the side. It might cause some sort of reaction in the machine the Shredder's goons are using." She swallowed hard. "Maybe I should get the smelling salts and ask him--..."  
  
"No." Splinter stood straight, and the expression on his face told April that the situation was far grimmer than she had suspected. "The smelling salts will do no good. My son..." The rat paused to take a breath, steadying his thoughts. "My son's condition has greatly worsened, just in these past few minutes..." He lowered his head, looking towards Donatello with more grief than April thought it possible for anyone to express. "It is likely... he will not survive..."  
  
==To Be Continued== 


	5. My Brother's Keeper

{/Here we are, folks... the end of the line! Well, sort of. This is the final chapter of Eyes Wide Shut before the mandatory epilogue (trust me, this story needs one). I know a lot of you out there are now plotting my eminent demise after that last cliffy, but you love me enough to wait and see what I do... right? Right?!  
  
-cough- Anyway, this chapter is almost entirely Leo-centric (bet you all were wondering if I'd forgotten him, huh?) and has the most drama (or MELOdrama in Leo's case... he's such a drama queen). Watch your step for random pools of mushy, angsty brotherly love and buckle up for the final chapter!  
  
Reinbeauchaser: you've been incredibly helpful in editing the previous chapters! I'm going to try to get through this one without too many flubs (I think my hands get ahead of my brain, heheh), so let's see how it goes! And hey... I had no idea that fillet and filet were both acceptable spellings. We learn something new everyday!  
  
Darktiger2: wow, that's vehement! Will I kill Donny? Will I let him live? Only this final chapter will tell the truth. Just don't get your hopes up or down until the end. ;3  
  
AnimeDreamers45: thanks a lot, T! I'm glad you like it. We're training you well, aren't we? XD  
  
KayceeRonin: you haven't reviewed because you've read every chapter as I've written it, but thanks so much for your undying support. Much luff!/}  
  
{={Eyes Wide Shut}=}  
  
==Part 5: My Brother's Keeper==  
  
For a long moment, Leonardo regarded the scientist with a mixture of distrust and full-out hatred. How he was here was a moot point to him... it was the why that concerned him most.  
  
"It is rather unusual, speaking to you and not being permitted to rend you limb from limb," Stockman mused idly. His voice grated violently on Leonardo's nerves, but the teen remained silent as he spoke. "However, the Shredder wishes you alive... so that you may know the full extent of the damage you have done."  
  
To this, Leonardo's eyes narrowed. "Damage I've done? What are you talking about?"  
  
Stockman chuckled. "I suppose you wouldn't know, would you? My machine kept you almost constantly in a state of half-consciousness... the result is a sort of memory loss. You have no idea what you've done, do you?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Leonardo growled in reply. "However, I will not be kept prisoner here."  
  
It was almost as if Leonardo had just said the funniest thing in the entire world. Stockman burst out laughing almost hysterically, leaving the teen to ponder over what in the world was going on here in front of him. "You foolish child! Do you honestly think your brothers will accept you now that you've personally dealt a crippling blow to all of them?"  
  
Leonardo's heart felt like it stopped beating, his eyes widening just briefly. "Wh-... what are you saying?"  
  
"Your brothers... Raphael and Donatello, if I recall correctly - were attacked, by YOU. Your very master, that rat you call father, was also injured at your hands." As Leonardo's expression grew more and more distressed, Stockman only grinned wider and wider. "I have video footage of the battle you engaged in with your brother in the sewer. He'll be lucky if he ever opens his eyes again, with the injuries YOU inflicted!"  
  
"You... you're lying!" The teen clenched his fists, his entire form shaking with rage. This couldn't be true. He would never harm his family! "I would NEVER--..."  
  
His words cut short as Stockman started the video footage. True enough, something - a Mouser, most likely - had been watching, and there he was, laying into Donatello with swing after swing of a pair of lead pipes. The purple-clad brother seemed to be trying to yell at him to stop, but in the end, the assault was only ended by Donatello finally being knocked unconscious. Leonardo's mouth moved without words, tears stinging at his eyes as he choked.  
  
Stockman sneered. "And you think they would have you back? Foolish boy!" He grinned. "This was obviously your own doing... blocked out by some sick sense of honor. They're holding you back and you know it... you have potential far beyond theirs. You did this because you want to be the one in charge... in control."  
  
"No..."  
  
"With no one holding you back..."  
  
"No...!"  
  
"You could destroy them ALL! Be your own master!"  
  
Silence swallowed the room, and at first, Stockman thought he had won. Then, Leonardo's fists clenched. "Maybe you're right, Stockman," he growled. "Maybe it's true. I attacked my own master, and my own brothers. One of my own family may be dying because of me." Slowly, he shook his head. "But what you could NEVER understand is that right now, that doesn't matter. They are my family, and nothing will ever change that." Frowning, he advanced. "No matter if they blame me. If they hate me forever for what I've done, it's of little consequence now. I love them... and I will die to protect them."  
  
His words angered Stockman, and the scientist growled. "You're right, freak. You will die. As painfully as possible!"  
  
Smoke swirled into the room and, as if on cue, the Shredder's elite surrounded Leonardo. The teen closed his eyes. He felt his body grow heavy as the machine instated its control again... he wouldn't be able to defend himself. He concentrated all of his strength and mind into a thought... someone HAD to hear it. /My brothers... Master Splinter... I'm sorry. I love you all. Stay safe./  
  
=====  
  
Raphael's shoulder twitched. He had been trying to meditate for the past hour... trying to wait. Something had clicked in his mind... he swore he heard Leonardo's voice in his head. The line of his brow tightened as he gritted his teeth, worry gnawing away at every molecule. Had he been this worried when Leonardo had been injured?  
  
No. That was a drop in the bucket compared to this. Now, his whole family was in jeopardy.  
  
His shoulder twitched again.  
  
[My brothers... Master Splinter... I'm sorry. I love you all. Stay safe.]  
  
This time, his eyes shot open. "Leo?!"  
  
A tired pair of eyes opened to look at him from the couch, barely noticeable past the arm that hid his face. Michelangelo yawned drowsily. "Whu...?"  
  
Raphael shot his attention to his youngest brother. If he could have paled, he would have. "Mikey! Leo, he..."  
  
"He's not here, stupid," grumbled Michelangelo as an interruption. Raphael would have been mad at him, had it been pretty obvious that the goofball hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. "What's got your goat, huh?"  
  
The older brother turned where he sat, leaning against the couch next to Michelangelo. "Leo's in trouble, Mike. I just heard 'im... he needs our help."  
  
Michelangelo's brow lifted. "You... heard him?" Raphael nodded. "Like... in your head?" Growing impatient, Raphael nodded once more. "Dude, did you get knocked upside the skull or something? You have a tougher time at concentrating than me, and you think Leo contacted you?"  
  
Almost instantly, Raphael was up in arms, growling slightly at his little brother. "Mikey, I'm not stupid enough to make somethin' like this up! Leo's in trouble, an' we--..."  
  
"Got it!"  
  
The sound of April's happy shout from the other room was music to Raphael's ears (/Do turtles even have ears?/ he mused). He bounded to his feet, instantly sorry for it with the pain that shot from overstrained muscles. "Mikey," he managed past gritted teeth, "I'll be right back. Just rest here... I think things just got betta!"  
  
He slipped into the kitchen to where April stood, a bright grin on her face as her fists clenched by her face. "I did it, Raph! If I'm right, this should totally scramble whatever was messing with Leo's head!"  
  
"That's great, Red," Raphael grinned. "I was startin' to worry."  
  
The woman smiled even wider in response, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, I helped Donny build it. It's only right that I should be able to figure out how to use it!"  
  
Raphael smirked and almost made some wisecrack about his brother and their lady friend, but he was interrupted by Splinter's voice suddenly breaking the silence he had been in for an hour. "Donatello!"  
  
Instantly, Raphael's blood ran cold. "No..."  
  
Fearing the worst, both he and April darted into the other room, fearing what might be waiting for them there.  
  
=====  
  
The weight suddenly lifted from Leonardo's shoulders, awareness flooding back to him as his eyes saw clearly the Elite that stood before him. Stockman shouted and cursed at the machine, which told Leonardo that by some miracle, he must have been released from its strange hold.  
  
A solemn expression of readiness crossed his face as he threw himself headlong into one of the Elites, managing to grab his naginata in the process. The turtle rolled into a kneel, spinning to face his adversaries. The weapon was unfamiliar in his hands, but Leonardo had made it a point to learn basic katas on as many weapons as possible... and to master at least two others, just in case of such a situation.  
  
The naginata may not have been one of his favored weapons, but it would do in a pinch. He just had to make it out of the tower alive... and somehow get back to his brothers.  
  
One hand came up, held in front of him, motioning as if he was daring the Elite to make their move. Long ago, he had given up his fear of these terrible mystics, and he would not let it hold him back now.  
  
The first of the four lunged forward, this one the unarmed one. He was making a bid to retrieve his weapon, thinking the turtle would be easy pickings by himself. Leonardo spun, blocking with the long staff of the naginata, using one end of it much like his younger brother's bo, sweeping his adversary off his feet. He spun the naginata over his head, using the blade to wound the ninja enough to prevent further combat. One down, three to go.  
  
The remaining three attacked together, timing their blows in succession to try to slip past Leonardo's defenses in a moment of lapse. However, the blue-clad leader had been training since their last encounter... he was ready to face them this time.  
  
With one swift upward motion, he disarmed the Elite armed with the axe, managing to badly wound his leading arm in the process. The first two Elite ninja defeated vanished in a swirl of smoke... two down.  
  
The remaining two did not seem discouraged in the least by the defeat of their others. They continued their onslaught, hoping to slowly wear Leonardo down. He was not buying this ploy. Instead, he spun, roughly tearing away the spear one of them wielded. It may have taken a few of his fingers with it, what with the amount of blood that went flying, but this barely registered to Leonardo. Now, all that mattered was escape... and finding out if his brothers were safe.  
  
He imagined, as he dealt with the final of the Elites, that his only option after making certain his family was safe was ending his own life. Too much pain and suffering had come to his brothers and father by his hands for him to force more up by returning. The Shredder would only target him again, after all.  
  
His moment of thought nearly cost him his head, but the oldest turtle came back to his senses with just enough time to block the swipe of a kama blade with the staff of the naginata. He glared at the Elite, who tried to stare him down with a glare that rivaled his own. Leonardo narrowed his gaze just that much more. "You can kill me," he growled, "but I will allow you to threaten my family no longer!"  
  
Growling, he pushed foreward. This was obviously the strongest of the four Elites, and he was more than willing to show Leonardo just how strong he was. However, while sleepwalking would take a lot out of most people, Leonardo's training allowed for more bodily strain than most humans. Despite his weariness, he fought on, the blade of the naginata clashing again and again with both the kama itself and the chain attached.  
  
After a lengthy struggle, Leonardo finally allowed the chain of the kama to wrap about the bo of the naginata. With an angry shout, he ducked and tossed, sending the Elite Ninja flying straight into the machine that Stockman had been trying frantically to get online again.  
  
Leonardo barely heard his bellow of "NOOOO!" through the loud crackling of wild electricity that zipped through the air, as well as the body of the Elite.  
  
Once the surge of energy had passed, Leonardo reached to pick up the discarded kama... a weapon he was more familiar with than the naginata. He stood silent and still for just a moment before he spun, and with one swipe of the deadly weapon, he had removed all of the legs of Stockman's spiderdroid body on one side. "That was just a taste of what I could do to you... but it is against the way of bushido to wound anyone who cannot fight back."  
  
Ignoring the angered words of the scientist, he turned and started out, the kama his one line of defense against what waited for him outside those doors.  
  
What waited for him was a behemoth of a man. Hun stood there, and although Leonardo did not know if his presence was to guard or to ensure Stockman's success, he obviously was not pleased that the rabbit was escaping while the fox was preoccupied.  
  
"Well, well... and where do you think you're going, freak?"  
  
Leonardo's eyes narrowed. "Home... and I won't let you stop me."  
  
Hun chuckled in response, cracking his knuckles. "How sentimental. I can assure you that they won't be pleased to see you. You made quite a mess of all of them... almost entirely with your bare hands."  
  
It took all the young turtle could muster to hide the flinch he felt rise in his shoulders. Hun may have been right, but he could not show any weakness. "That will not stop me from protecting them, Hun. Get out of my way."  
  
The mountain of a man raised his brow, just slightly. "And if I refuse?"  
  
"I'll be forced to MAKE you move."  
  
The threat amused Hun, bringing up a chuckle from deep in his throat. "All right then, turtle. I'll bite. Make me move. I dare you."  
  
Leonardo gave a slight growl. He hadn't wanted to prolong his return home any longer than he had to, but he had no choice in the matter now. Fists clenched, he ducked down low, and prepared to attack.  
  
Hun lunged first, his fist barely missing the top of Leonardo's head as he struck out. The turtle was quick to remain at least one step ahead at all times, bounding over and around the behemoth. One foot darted out to strike Hun's feet from beneath him, and as he fell, Leonardo leapt into the air, landing a kick to his face.  
  
The attacks stunned Hun, but they did not stop him. With each strike Leonardo landed, the Shredder's walking mountain simply became more and more angry. The teen realized with a slowly dawning horror that he would HAVE to strike a vulnerable point, or this battle would end with him as the loser.  
  
Time and time again, he struck out at Hun's neck. The thug seemed to know what he was bidding on, however, and he was quick to block each time. There HAD to be a better way!  
  
Then, it dawned on him. In the back of Leonardo's mind, a thought began to formulate, and finally, he knew what he had to do. Whipping the chain of the kama around, he spun it twice before wrapping it tightly around Hun's wrists. While the enormous man worked on wrenching himself free, Leonardo freed himself for the task at hand, and sprung into the air.  
  
One hand came down with lightning precision, and with one grunt, Hun finally collapsed to the cold floor of the hallway.  
  
Leonardo landed gracefully, although obviously worn down by his exertions. He sighed deeply, then gave a quiet bow to his adversary, removing the chain from Hun's unmoving hands before making his way towards the nearest point of exit.  
  
It was time to face his toughest adversary ever... the fear of his family. And this was one foe he was not sure he could overcome.  
  
=====  
  
The window to April's apartment slid open slowly to reveal Leonardo's tired form. Michelangelo, the only one in plain sight, grinned broadly when he saw his brother, bounding to his feet as if he had never been injured. "Leo, you're back!" He ran forward, grabbing his brother's shoulders as his face grew serious... too serious for even Michelangelo. "For god's sake, were we ever worried! Raph's about ta go into fits, and April's been totally beside herself - takin' care'a Casey, who's been wanting to go after you. Master Splinter's been with Donny... but he's been worried about ALL of us... he looks tired."  
  
Leonardo was almost overwhelmed by Michelangelo's outburst. The younger of the two did not seem miffed at all by the course of events... either that or he did not know about them. He gave Michelangelo a weak smile, lifting his hands to rest them on his brother's arms. "Yeah... I'm back, Mikey." His expression faltered. "Look... before, did I...?"  
  
"You didn't touch me," Michelangelo interrupted. Now, his expression grew depressed. Leonardo was almost immediately reminded of when they were younger, and Michelangelo had stressed himself over where Splinter would go sometimes in the dead of night. "But Raph and Donny... and Master Splinter, they..." Instantly, he stopped, staring at Leonardo. His brother's expression looked as if he had just killed a puppy. "Aw, no, Leo... it's not your fault! Really! None of us blame you!"  
  
In response, Leonardo just shook his head, gently removing Michelangelo's hands from his shoulders. "Who else would you blame, Mikey?"  
  
His answer stunned the baby brother into silence. Leonardo gave him a pat on the shoulder, letting his hand linger long enough to attempt to be comforting before moving into the next room. Raphael stood by the window, bandaged and broken, his expression solemn and lacking even its usual rage. By a fold-out bed nearby sat Splinter, his head bowed in meditation, next to the inert form of Donatello, who looked as if he was literally at the end of the line.  
  
Leonardo choked, alerting Raphael to his presence in the room. Splinter did not seem surprised, but his long expression told Leonardo that things were not going well.  
  
He could not say a word before Raphael was at his side, uninjured arm slung around his shoulder. "You dumbass!" he shouted hoarsely, locking his elbow in what Leonardo knew was about the closest he was going to get to a brotherly hug from him. "We were worried sick!" He growled, narrowing his eyes as he held back emotions he rarely showed, even to his own family. "It's good you're alive, but couldn't ya have at least dropped a line? Geez!"  
  
Splinter stood silent for a moment before leaving Donatello's side rather reluctantly, standing in front of the oldest brothers of the four, regarding them both before speaking. "I am overjoyed that you have returned to us safely, Leonardo... far more than words could truly express. We all are. I am certain Donatello is as well."  
  
Leonardo only bowed slightly in reply, slipping out from beneath Raphael's arm. He excused himself silently, then moved to kneel next to Donatello, taking his brother's limp hand in his own. Raphael and Splinter watched quietly, not even moving when April burst through the door and into the room.  
  
The startled woman almost exclaimed something about Leonardo's rather unexpected return, but Splinter raised a hand in a motion of silence. April blinked, then looked up. "What...?"  
  
"Raphael, do not stray far from your brothers. Mind Leonardo's actions... I fear that he may attempt something drastic," Splinter stated quietly. "Miss O'Neil, have you any tea left...?"  
  
With a barely masked expression of both great relief and great sorrow, the rat lead April calmly back into the kitchen as Raphael sighed, sinking to sit down beside the door, watching Leonardo and Donatello in silence.  
  
Leonardo did not seem to acknowledge the other presence anymore. He gave Donatello's hand a gentle squeeze, as if trying to get some sort of reaction. "Don?" he murmured lightly. "Donny, it's Leo." Tears stung at his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Donny... I... I don't know... I don't know how I can ever make this better..."  
  
Slowly, he shook his head. Everything he had fought and trained for his entire life was falling down around him. He had always striven to protect his family, and now, he had a hand in destroying it. Raphael frowned. /Even Leo can't handle this kinda pressure.../ he thought bitterly. /Ain't right... this ain't his fault... he shouldn't hafta take the rap by 'imself... but who else is gonna help 'im shoulder it?/  
  
"I won't leave until I'm certain you're all right, Don... I can't let you down again. Not now." Raphael flinched at Leonardo's words, but he still did not speak up. "I don't care if you hate me. None of you have to hide that from me. I want the truth... and I'll take that to my grave. Don't give up, Donny... not now. You can't give up now!"  
  
His words finally bit one too many times at Raphael's mind, and finally, the red-clad brother stood, growling. "We don't want you dead, Leo... and Donny ain't gonna die either!"  
  
Leonardo just barely flinched, not turning his eyes to Raphael. "You're bad at sugar-coating things, Raph."  
  
"You honestly think I'd want you ta jam a katana through your heart?! You think I'm that fuckin' heartless?!" Raphael's fists clenched at his sides as he stormed over. For a moment, Leonardo anticipated a punch, but what he received was different. Raphael's hand came to rest on his shoulder, drawing his attention to the other's face. "I ain't no good at this sentimental shit... but you ain't no good to any of us pushin' up daisies."  
  
"Usefulness is hardly the issue here, Raphael."  
  
Groaning, Raphael shook his head, his hand tightening on his brother's shoulder. He waited a moment for the urge to throttle Leonardo to quiet, then sighed, his voice softening. "Maybe I ain't your favorite turtle... and you sure as hell ain't mine... but that don't change the fact that all of us need ya, bro. And no matta what, you've always been there... even for me. I think I speak for even Donny when I say that if you die... you'll just hurt this family more than you already think you have."  
  
The eldest brother frowned. "Oh, yeah. Real comforting, Raphael. And you're actually trying?"  
  
Raphael bristled at the accusation. "Stop bein' a wiseass and listen for once in your life ta someone else that isn't your own bull head or Master Splinter, wouldja? Just 'cause we always fight don't mean I care about you any less than the others. Mikey pisses me off a lot, sure... and Don's kinda hard to relate to. You and me, we just rub each other the wrong way. But you're family. And family sticks t'gether to the end. Right?"  
  
"Brothers to the end," Leonardo reiterated quietly. "You're not just saying this so that you'll have someone to argue with?"  
  
"Heh... maybe that's part of it. But I don't wanna think of you dyin', Leo. I don't wanna think of anyone dyin'. Y'gotta live... I mean, come on. If somethin' happened ta you, we'd never hear the end of it from Mikey!"  
  
The younger brother forced a smile. Leonardo stared at him for a long moment, and for the first time in a long time, all he read was sincerity in his sibling's expression. In the end, he slumped forward, tears soaking his headband beneath his eyes. "...Thanks, Raph..."  
  
Raphael stared for a moment, then looked around warily. Sighing softly, he put his arm around his brother's shoulders, giving his arm a faint squeeze with his other hand. "Hey... what're brothers for, ey, Leo?"  
  
Leonardo nodded, then returned his attention to Donatello. "...Do you think he'll be all right?"  
  
Raphael answered with a nod. "It's Donny, Leo. You think a few whacks from you'd slow him down?"  
  
That made Leonardo laugh, albeit softly. "Yeah... right... what was I thinking...?"  
  
Slowly, Raphael smiled, his eyes lifting to their younger brother as well. The two sat quietly for several long minutes, unaware of the figures watching them from the doorway of the kitchen.  
  
Michelangelo wrung his hands together nervously, leaning down to mumble quietly to his master, "...are Donny and Leo really gonna be okay, Sensei...?"  
  
"Only time will tell, my son," Splinter replied, keeping his voice low. "Donatello is weak, but with his strong spirit, he will hopefully return to us... as for the condition of his legs..." He shook his head. "There are some things in life we cannot change... and others we simply cannot control. However, we can correct them by learning from our mistakes. Leonardo will have a great deal of difficulty coping with what has happened, and he perhaps will never recover from the emotional scars... it is perhaps true, as well, that the price to pay for this lesson was too high... but we will pull through, as we always have and as we always will."  
  
Puzzled by his sensei's words, Michelangelo just blinked and returned his attention to his brothers. In the background, the sounds of yet another argument between Casey and April had erupted, but the rather unusual family was hardly phased.  
  
Splinter watched his sons with a gentle expression, his eyes glazed, picturing a time when this was not a concern... when his sons had been young, and their greatest worry had been flooding in the sewers. It was a time too far away to grasp, and this staggering reality threatened to overcome the happier times even now.  
  
The only light at the end of this tunnel was Donatello's shift in position on the bed... that sign of life alone was enough to remind them that in that world of uncertainty, there were still some things worth living for.  
  
==End - Epilogue to Follow== 


	6. Epilogue: In the End

{/It's time for SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME! XD  
  
Okay, so not really. Here you have the awaited epilogue to Eyes Wide Shut. Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed. It makes me feel like a very happy girl and lets me keep writing without any problems... because I know people are waiting to see what's next! ;3  
  
I'll probably do a follow-up story or two to this, depending on the reaction this final part of the story...  
  
Thanks so much for reading! You're all totally awesome!/}  
  
{={Eyes Wide Shut}=}  
  
==Epilogue - In the End==  
  
Nearly a month had passed since Leonardo's incident with Baxter Stockman, and nothing seemed to really have changed. He spent his days moping about the lair, training his body to keep his mind off what he had done.  
  
Raphael and Michelangelo had both made full recoveries and settled into their own ways of coping with the stress... Raphael by going topside to take out thugs with the recovered Casey Jones, and Michelangelo by enveloping himself in doodling or playing video games.  
  
Donatello still held everyone's concern, despite his full awareness. He had woken up a week after his injury, but healing was a slow process... especially for him. His legs were still extremely weak, and when he tried to stand, he still suffered from sudden pangs of pain. He often seemed extremely distraught by his predicament, but Splinter calmly reminded him to be patient... his patience would eventually be rewarded.  
  
So many nights Leonardo had spent wandering through the lair thinking of Donatello and his dilemma. So many nights he had wasted on training when he could have been doing something about it. Tonight just happened to be one of those nights.  
  
He was not sure what drew him to do so, but Leonardo paused as if by instinct next to Donatello's room, peering inside. He was surprised to find his younger brother half-laying on the floor. The oldest brother blinked, then rushed to his sibling's side. "Donny...?! What are you doing? Sensei told you to stay in bed until you were fully recovered, didn't he?"  
  
"I'm sick of this, Leo!" the purple-clad brother shouted, clenching his fists. The outburst was uncharacteristic, but Leonardo fully understood his brother's distress. "I can't do anything on my own! I can't walk, I can't even STAND...!"  
  
Frowning, Leonardo slipped around behind his brother, hooking his arms under Donatello's to help him back into bed. "You have to rest, Don... you can't recover if you don't rest. Master Splinter always tells us that healing takes time."  
  
The younger of the pair growled, trying to squirm away, but he lacked the strength to really fight back. "I don't want to wait, Leonardo. I'm sick of waiting. It's been a month or more!" He jerked his arms away once he was back in bed. "I hate having to make all of you wait on me... I want my life back!"  
  
A pang of guilt shot through Leonardo's mind. It was, in a way, his fault that Donatello was in his current state. "Please, Don... just rest, okay? We only want the best for you... we don't like this any more than you do."  
  
Donatello blinked, then looked away, knowing Leonardo's tone all too well. "I'm sorry, Leo... I just... I hate being laid up like this. C'mon... don't blame yourself..."  
  
"Are you hungry? I'll bring you something if you are." Leonardo was changing the subject. "Or thirsty?" He turned towards the door, ignoring his brother's distressed expression. "Just say the word, bro."  
  
"I want you to stop blaming yourself," Donatello replied softly. "I'm FINE."  
  
Leonardo's fists clenched, and for a moment, he said nothing. "Call if you need me, Don."  
  
He left the room before Donatello could have a chance to retort, retreating to the corner where he would often sit and meditate. The chance to lose himself in nothingness was lost, however, when a warm, furry hand closed on his shoulder. Leonardo tensed almost instinctively, which brought a near automatic frown to Splinter's face. "My son... what troubles you?"  
  
The leader just shook his head. "Nothing that should trouble you, Sensei. This is my fight... my inner struggle."  
  
"It is Raphael who is notorious for keeping his anger inside, Leonardo. Self-hate is the worst foe... even your brother stands in a safer battlefield than yourself." The old rat motioned for Leonardo to sit, then followed suit, resting on his knees. "Donatello does not hate you for what happened."  
  
Leonardo flinched, looking away. "I can't help but feeling at fault."  
  
To this, Splinter nodded. "Perhaps that is true... and that is a battle you must win on your own. But as I have told Raphael many times, do not forget your brothers, and do not forget me. We will always be here, my student... my son." He reached forward to place a gnarled hand on top of Leonard's head as the boy's shoulders shook. "I... will always be here. If not in body, then in spirit. And none of us, neither your brothers nor I, will ever forsake you." He paused as he watched his son's reaction. Leonardo had partly bowed forward, his eyes downcast as he fought to hide from his master the fear and sorrow that had come to his expression. "The world may cast you out. Your brothers may grow angry, and I may grow impatient. Hate threatens to overcome all things. But always know that we are a family, Leonardo."  
  
After a moment, Leonardo nodded dumbly, his voice barely a whisper as he stated, "Of course, Sensei..."  
  
Splinter withdrew his hand, but he did not leave his son's side. If there was one thing he had learned in all of his years serving as the surrogate father to these wayward boys, it was that his job was truly never done... may it be teaching them the way of the ninja or being there when they felt their world shattered.  
  
A few minutes of silence passed before Leonardo stood, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm going to check on Donny, Sensei." He bowed respectfully. "...thank you."  
  
"There is nothing to thank me for, my son. I am only doing my duty as a father and a teacher." Splinter smiled, a bit of the humor he held showing through. "But I swear you kids will be the end of my mind someday."  
  
Leonardo allowed a smile to cut across his features and he laughed softly. "Sorry, Sensei."  
  
The old rat just smiled, flicking his fingers to shoo Leonardo on his way. The teen gave another respectful bow and made his way back to Donatello's room. Splinter sighed and shook his head, turning to the door as Raphael made his way back into their lair. He was almost immediately greeted by a jibe from Michelangelo, which ended with the baby brother pinned. The two were fighting again, and at this, Splinter rolled his eyes.  
  
On his way to break up the brawl, he stole a glance as he passed Donatello's room. Leonardo was sitting on the side of Donatello's bed, and the two were talking in silence. Donatello shook his head, said something, and reached up to land a playful punch on Leonardo's shoulder. Leonardo looked as if he might have even laughed a little.  
  
The only concern that remained in his mind was whether or not Donatello would ever regain full use of his legs, but he wished not to trouble his sons with that knowledge just yet. They seemed to be recovering emotionally, and right now, that was all that mattered.  
  
A smile once again broke the old rat's solemn features, and he moved on from the room to give both Raphael and Michelangelo a firm berating.  
  
Perhaps life would never be exactly as it was, but at least they could get through it together.  
  
==End== 


End file.
